UNB, Bogra :
The target to procure Boro paddy and rice is unlikely to be achieved in the district due to higher prices of the food grains in the local markets, as compared to the official procurement rates.
Sources at the District Food Office said the drive to procure paddy and rice in the current Boro season began on May 1.
This year, the government has decided to purchase paddy from farmers at Tk 20 per kilogram and rice from mills owners at Tk 31 per kg.
During visit to different markets in the district, the UNB correspondent found that paddy was selling for Tk 23-24 per kg, which is up by Tk 3-4 compared to the official procurement rate.
As the market price of paddy has remained high, farmers are not showing interest in selling their produce to the government purchase centres set up in different places of the districts.
Only 20 tonnes of paddy has so far been collected against the target of 6,628 tonnes of the crop till May 20 while 1,326 tonnes of rice procured against the targeted amount of 80,195 tonnes during the period.
Apart from that, only 718 out of 1,759 millers in the district have made contracts with Food Department in supplying food grains to the government warehouses till May 20, the last day of making the agreement.
Later, deadline for the agreement was extended till May 26.
Contacted, Harun-ur-Rashid, in-charge of food storages in Bogra Sadar, said only three out of 25 licensed millers in Sadar upazila have made contracts in supplying food grains to the government go-downs.
However, he said they would be able to achieve the target of procuring food grains this year.
Echoing Harun-ur-Rashid, district food controller AEM Golam Rabbani hoped that the target of procuring food grains would be achieved this year at the government fixed rate.
