Make sure no farmer selling paddy to warehouses is harassed: Food Minister
He also said that paddy should be given priority in the procurement of food grains
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder has asked officials and employees of the ministry to make sure that no farmer coming to sell paddy to food warehouses, is harassed or faces any problems.
"There would be no food problem if new crops could be harvested at the right time in the current Boro season. Paddy should be given priority in the procurement of food grains, and farmers should not be harassed in any way," said the minister at a virtual meeting with the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions on Tuesday, regarding domestic procurement of Boro.
He thinks that in the best interest of farmers, paddy should be given priority in food grain purchasing to ensure fair prices. In this Boro season, 6,50,000 tons of paddy and 11,50,000 tons of rice will be procured directly from farmers, which will help in dealing with the Covid-19 disaster.
"Like every country in the world, our country is going through the pandemic. To ensure food supply, the ongoing Boro procurement needs to be successful with new initiatives, in collaboration with each other," he added.
Food Secretary Moshammat Nazmanara Khanum said that old rice will not be accepted in rice procurement. Only Boro rice produced this year will be accepted.
