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Govt planning to export rice

By Govinda Shil
Bangladesh may soon start exporting rice, despite a continuing domestic foodgrain shortfall of around 15 lakh tonnes a year.
Director General of Food Md Sirajul Islam said although Bangladesh had long been importing rice, the government might ask the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to discuss the possibility of exporting rice with private entrepreneurs.
"If Bangladesh’s food gap remains at around 15 lakh tonnes, we will be quite able to export rice," he said.
According to a DF projection. the country could reduce its food deficit to within 12 lakh tonnes by the 1997-98 fiscal year.
DF officials also said Kenya had recently ordered for 50.000
tonnes of coarse rice from Bangladesh.
Islam explained that the shortfall of rice would probably neither hamper export or deprive local consumers, since farmers now harvest thrice a year.
"We harvest before we experience an acute shortage." he added.
In a recent meeting. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said -Baftgladesh would be producing 2.5 crore tonnes of food grains annually by the year 2002. She also assured farmers that her government wanted to establish appropriate pricing for foodgrains.
Bangladesh now requires about 2.1 crore tonnes of rice each year to feed its population of 130 million.
Statistics showed that private import of foodgrain was also declining over the years. A total of 850 lakh tonnes of foodgrains were imported in 1995-96 financial year compared to 1.013 lakh tonnes in fiscal 1994-95.
This year, only one lakh tonnes of wheat has been imported. But the FAO is importing 4.486 tonnes of non-boiled (atap) rice this year, for the repatriated Chakma refugees.
The government fixed this season's foodgrains procurement target at 3.20 lakh tonnes. Of this quantity, 133,984 tonnes of Aman paddy and more than 75,000 tonnes of wheat have already been procured.
The procurement price for paddy is Tk 700 per quintal and for rice Tk 1,100.
Against its required readystock, the government has built a stock oi 965,799 tonnes of foodgrains in its 5 silos, 13 central storage depots and 623 local storage depots.
Another DF official said Bangladesh could also export fine and aromatic rice varieties, especially to countries with Bangladeshi ethnic communities.
He said some exporters were already selling aromatic rice in the international market. But he said, 'We can do it in a more organised way." The official emphasised developing linkages before beginning the regular export of rice. "Linkages between farmers and exporters and exporters and importers are essential to sustain such a venture in the international market," he pointed out.