Dhaka: The government currently maintains a stock of 19.20 lakh metric tons of food grains in its public godowns, while actively pursuing initiatives to bolster the reserves through both international and domestic procurement efforts.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, State Minister for Food Md. Abdul Bari disclosed this information in the Jatiya Sangsad during a response to a starred tabled question from BNP lawmaker AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon (Noakhali-1). With Speaker Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, presiding, Bari reported that as of March 30, 2026, the food godowns contain approximately 15.79 lakh metric tons of rice and 3.39 lakh metric tons of wheat.
The state minister elaborated on the government’s strategy to enhance food stocks through the import of rice and wheat under government-to-government (G2G) arrangements and open international tenders. Additionally, the government is procuring paddy and rice locally from contracted rice mills and genuine farmers who hold agricultural assistance cards, at prices fixed by the government, during the Boro and Aman seasons.
In terms of international procurement, contracts have been secured for the import of 6 lakh metric tons of rice within the current 2025-26 fiscal year. This includes five lakh metric tons through international tenders and one lakh metric tons via G2G arrangements. Of this total, three lakh metric tons of rice have already been received, with the remainder expected to arrive shortly.
For wheat imports, contracts have been established for 7.10 lakh metric tons. This comprises 50,000 metric tons through international tenders and 6.60 lakh metric tons of wheat from the United States under G2G arrangements. To date, 5.35 lakh metric tons of wheat have been received, with the balance of 1.75 lakh metric tons anticipated to arrive within the scheduled timeframe.
The state minister also mentioned that the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC) under the Ministry of Food is entrusted with setting policies for domestic food grains procurement. During the upcoming Boro procurement season of 2026, which is scheduled from May to August, the government plans to procure five lakh metric tons of paddy and 12/13 lakh metric tons of rice domestically. Furthermore, necessary food grains will be procured from both international and domestic sources in the 2026-27 fiscal year as required.