Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumdar today spoke to journalists after a view exchange meeting at Circuit House in Rajshahi. Photo : PID

RAJSHAHI, Oct 27, 2025 (BSS) - Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumdar today said that farmers are the frontline soldiers in ensuring the country’s food security. 

“Without them, food security cannot be achieved,” he told journalists after a view - exchange meeting on the Food Friendly Programme (FFP) and Aman procurement targets for the Rajshahi division held at Circuit House here.

Majumdar said FFP was previously ran for five months each year, it has now been extended to six months from the current fiscal year. 

“This programme started in August and will continue until November, and again in February and March of 2026,” he said. 

Additionally, the number of beneficiary families has been increased from 50 lakh to 55 lakh while each family is receiving 30 kilograms of rice per month at TK 15 per kilogram, said the adviser. 

The number was determined based on population and poverty indices, he added.

He said as the number of floating people is higher in Rajshahi, the quantity of food allocated under the OMS (Open Market Sale) programme has been increased. The adviser expressed hope that the Aman yield this year would be better than previous years.

When asked whether food imports would be necessary this year, he said the government’s food stock is currently at a very satisfactory level. 

“At most, we may need to import 400,000 metric tons this year,” he said. “If humans were the only consumers, we wouldn’t need to import, but now cattle, goats, ducks, and chickens also consume these grains,” he said.

Ali Imam said that food prices are currently stable and expressed optimism that they will remain so in the future.

Responding to a question on how procurement prices would be determined amid rising production costs; the food adviser said the government is well aware of the increasing cost of crop production.

“You’ve seen that during the last Boro season, the government purchased paddy at TK 4 more per kilogram than the previous year,” he said. 

“For Aman as well, we will determine the price based on production cost plus a fair profit margin as proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture. The price will ensure sufficient profit for farmers,” he said.

When journalists mentioned that the quality of rice distributed in Rajshahi was substandard, the adviser replied, “The rice distributed here is collected locally, not brought from outside. There are good and bad people everywhere, including among suppliers and warehouse officials. If corruption is proven against anyone, necessary action will be taken.”

Earlier, during the view-exchange meeting with local administrators and food controllers, the adviser instructed officials to closely monitor the OMS and FFP.

 He also directed that only quality paddy and rice be supplied to food warehouses and emphasized the importance of proper agreements with rice mills during the Aman procurement season. The adviser warned that officials showing negligence in these matters would face action.

Divisional Commissioner Khondker Azim Ahmed chaired the view -exchange meeting while Director General of the Directorate General of Food Md Abul Hasanath Humayun Kabir, Deputy Commissioners of all districts under the division, regional and district food controllers, and other concerned officials attended it.