Staff Reporter :
Though the rice price in the market started falling after beginning of the special anti-hoarding drives across the country, the government is likely to start importing rice under public and private management to increase the rice supply in the market.
According to the Food Ministry officials, once the government takes the decision of importing rice, it would impact in the market. At the same time, it would compel the hoarders and rice millers to release their stocks in the market creating pressure on them, sources said.
While talking to journalists at his Secretariat office on Sunday, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder informed that the meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC) under the ministry will be held on Monday. Necessary decisions will be taken in the meeting after consultation to determine the course of actions to tackle the rice price hike, he said.
“If necessary, rice would be imported along with wheat deducting the import taxes to ensure the supply chain of rice in the market,” the Food Minister said in reply to a query.
Sadhan Majumder said rice price started falling across the country by Tk3 to Tk5 per kg after beginning the anti-hoarding drives. The teams formed by the ministry and district administration have been operating drives like combing operation. It would be strengthened more to prevent illegal stock of grain, he further said.
“During the drives, we have found illegal stock of food grains at several places. Legal actions have been taken against the illegal hoarders. It can’t say that the market is fully controlled, but the falling trend is found everywhere. We are doing the work sincerely after the PM’s instruction given last Monday’s Cabinet meeting. We’ll continue the drive as part of the initiative to bring the rice market stable,” he added.
He also informed that after the countrywide drives, the government is getting the actual picture of rice stock in the country. “We could know the actual amount of legal food grain stocks and illegal stocks to the hoarders and millers.
We have known the total amount of stocks in the country after the drives.”
In response to a query about the time of reducing rice price, he said, “It’s hard to say the time specifically. But, we are working to reduce the price. Wherever, we are getting complaints, drives are being operated.”
Earlier, he opened the logo of ‘International Nutrition Olympiad, 2022’ at a programme in his office.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has already given announcement to start food grain export from his country and from the stocks of Ukraine, the Russian forces operating invasion. The announcement of Russian President has also impact in the global market to fall food grain prices.
