Staff Reporter :
The price of rice will not go up in the country during the holy month of Ramadan, the fasting month for Muslims, beginning in the first week of April this year.
“I can assure you that the price of rice will not increase during Ramzan. If we see such a situation, then OMS center will be increased, as there are available food stock in government godowns. We will increase sales in the open market. If necessary, the government will import rice in the interest of consumers,” Food Secretary Dr. Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum gave the assurance while talking to reporters at her Secretariat office in Dhaka on Wednesday noon.
There are over 20 lakh tonnes of food grains in the government stock, she said, adding that the millers are also offering the government to buy their rice. “It means that the price of coarse rice will not see any hike. If there is no natural disaster, boro rice will arrive in the market in the middle of April,” the food secretary said.
According to her the rice price is likely to decrease rather after boro is harvested. So, there is no fear of rising of rice price.
The government will go for a food-friendly programme from March and 50 lakh families across the country will receive 30 kilograms of rice under the programme per month, Nazmanara said.
The government will increase the open market sales (OMS) and even will import rice if necessary, she said in reply to a query.
However, the food secretary said that the government is not eager to import rice at this moment.
The food secretary added that prices were rising at various levels and it would be controlled by increasing the supply.
