Patuakhali: Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder today announced that the country's food situation remains highly satisfactory, attributing this to a bumper Boro harvest that has significantly boosted food grain stocks. Speaking at a view-exchange meeting at the Patuakhali Circuit House with food department officials from Patuakhali and Barguna, Majumder emphasized the importance of maintaining vigilance despite the positive outlook. "Though our food stock is in a good state, we cannot afford to be complacent, as food grain consumption is ongoing and rising," he noted.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Patuakhali's Boro procurement targets are set at 1,925 tonnes of paddy and 5,695 tonnes of rice, with 1,925 tonnes of paddy and 4,997 tonnes of rice already collected. In Barguna, the targets are 500 tonnes of paddy and 1,513 tonnes of rice, with 500 tonnes of paddy and 1,349 tonnes of rice procured so far. Additionally, the six Local Supply Depots (LSDs) in Barguna have a combined storage capacity of 15,000 tonnes.
The adviser instructed deputy commissioners to intensify monitoring of procurement and distribution, especially as Patuakhali and Barguna are disaster-prone areas, emphasizing the priority of ensuring an uninterrupted food supply in such regions. This season, the government aims to procure 17.5 lakh tonnes of Boro crops from the local market, comprising 3.5 lakh tonnes of paddy and 14 lakh tonnes of rice.
To support farmers, the government has increased the procurement price by Tk 4 compared to last year, setting paddy at Tk 36 per kg and rice at Tk 49 per kg. The Boro procurement drive, which began on April 24, will continue until August 31. Moreover, the proposed food subsidy in the 2025-26 budget has been increased to Tk 9,500 crore from Tk 8,059 crore in the current fiscal year, aimed at providing affordable food to low-income groups.
Under government efforts to expand social safety nets, the number of families receiving subsidized food through the Open Market Sale (OMS) and Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) programs will rise to 55 lakh in the next fiscal year, up from 50 lakh. Each family will receive 30 kg of rice monthly at a subsidized rate of Tk 15 per kg, and the program's duration will be extended from five to six months.
The meeting was chaired by Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner Abu Hasnat Mohammad Arefin and attended by the Regional Food Controller of Barishal Division and district-level food officials.