Govt goes for rice export

The government has decided to export rice to boost up the market price of the staple food and ensure fair price for the marginal farmers, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said on Sunday.

The govt took the decision as Bangladesh now turned into a rice-surplus country and the prices of rice have been falling, Muhith briefed journalists emerging from an inter-ministerial meeting held at his secretariat office.

But the minister did not disclose the time of starting the export and the quantity of exportable rice.

The government also decided to allow the export of aromatic rice round the year which is now time-bound.

The prices of rice have gone down in local market due to the surplus production of paddy at the time of last Boro harvesting season, the minister said.

Currently, the price of a kilo of coarse variety of rice is Tk 24 to 25 whereas the production cost of per kilo rice is Tk 26.50, Muhith said adding “So, the farmers are not getting the proper price of rice.”

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Commerce Minister GM Quader, Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque and Health Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque among others present at the meeting.

Source : The Daily Star