RANGPUR, Nov 5, 2018 (BSS) – Market price of rice marked a fall by Taka five to eight per kg following positive impacts of the government’s food-friendly programme and early harvest of Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) rice in Rangpur division.
“The course variety rice is being sold now at rates of Taka 30-34 per kg, medium variety at Taka 38-44 and fine variety rice at rates of Taka 50-54 per kg,” District Marketing Officer for Rangpur ASM Hassan Sarwar told BSS today.
The market price of rice marked fall by Taka five to eight depending on variety and quality in last one month.
“Market price of rice will continue to show downward trend as a result of huge supply, ample stock in the government’s food godowns following huge production and import of rice,” Sarwar added.
Rangpur Regional Controller of Food Raihanul Kabir said rice price might continue to fall as harvest of T-Aman rice would get full momentum by the end of this month- even after closure of the food-friendly programme for this year.
“Distribution of rice at Taka 10 per kg continues smoothly among 8.47 lakh beneficiary families in Rangpur division now under the food-friendly programme,” he said.
Every card holder beneficiary family is getting 30 kg rice monthly at Taka 10 per kilogram for five months during the lean seasons annually under the programme.
After getting rice at Taka 10 per kg for March and April months early this year, the beneficiary families already got the same for September and October and are getting the rice for November now.
Under the programme, 25,411 tonnes of rice is being sold to card holder beneficiaries of all eight districts in Rangpur division every month through 1,473 appointed village ration dealers.
“Sale of rice at Taka 10 per kg is continuing now for November to end of the food friendly programme for this year,” Kabir said adding that the programme is benefiting the poor putting positive impacts on market price of rice.
Farm-laborer Bulbuli Begum of village Sreerampur in Sadar upazila of Rangpur said she got 30 kilogram rice at Taka 10 per kilogram for September and October and would get the same for November soon for last time this year.
Similarly, beneficiary Sunil Chandra Sen, a farm-labourer, of village Gangadas Baraipara in Sadar upazila of Rangpur said he was very happy to get the rice at only Taka 10 per kilogram for September and October.
They said that they would be able to purchase rice with their incomes from December next when the food friendly programme ends as market price of course variety rice has come down to Taka 30-34 per kg in place of Taka 38-42 a month ago.
Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said farmers have cultivated Aman rice on 6.03 lakh hectares of land in five districts of Rangpur agriculture region this season.
“The farmers have already harvested short duration Aman rice on 60,000 hectares of land in the region producing 1.77 lakh tonnes of clean Aman rice (2.65 lakh tonnes paddy) increasing supply of rice and reducing its price in local markets,” he said.