Shipment of 22,000 tonnes rice arrives from Myanmar
![Shipment of 22,000 tonnes rice arrives from Myanmar](https://cdn.jagonews24.com/media/imgAllNew/BG/2023March/vessel-20250129174722.jpg)
A ship carrying 22,000 tonnes of atap rice, imported from Myanmar, has anchored at the Chittagong Port.
The rice consignment, imported on a government-to-government (G2G) basis, is the second shipment of its kind under the current interim government, said the Ministry of Food in a media release on Wednesday, January 29.
In addition to this, another consignment of 15,000 tonnes of non-basmati parboiled rice reached Chattogram Port by MV BMC PANDORA vessel, the release added.
The import consignment arrived as part of government’s plan to import a total of 9 lakh tonnes of rice for the fiscal year 2024-25 through government-to-government arrangements and open tenders.
Under the plan, 1 lakh tonnes of white rice will be imported from Myanmar at $515 per ton and 300,000 lakh tonnes non-basmati or parboiled from India.
With the arrival of 22,000 tonnes, a total of 52,000 tonnes of atap rice have already been imported from Myanmar and another consignment of 30,000 tonnes of atap rice will come by the end of this month. The rest of the consignment of atap is scheduled to arrive in the middle of February this year.
Under the open tender, the food ministry source said a total of 70,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice have already arrived in the country from India. The rest of the amount will arrive within the current fiscal, sources said.
The government is set to import rice from Myanmar and India as part of its efforts to bring down the high price of the staple food, replenish stocks and ensure distribution under social safety net schemes, said M Maniruzzaman, director (procurement) department of food.
In addition to this, the government has signed government to government (G2G) agreement with Vietnam and Pakistan to import 150,000 tonnes of atap rice.
The parboiled (atap) rice will be procured from the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) at a cost of Tk 304.39 crore, excluding customs duty and VAT. Each tonne of rice will cost $499.
The interim government has decided to import one lakh tonnes of parboiled (atap) rice from Vietnam at a total cost of Tk 578 core 58 lakh following previous procurement from India, Pakistan, and Myanmar.
Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase, chaired by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, approved the rice purchase proposal from Vietnam at a meeting held at the secretariat on January 28.
According to sources, the rice will be procured from Vietnam Southern Food Corporation at a rate of $474.25 per metric tonne, amounting to a total cost of Tk 578 core 58 lakh 50 thousand.
Previously, the government had also permitted multiple rounds of rice imports from India, Pakistan, and Myanmar. Bangladesh is importing one lakh tonnes from both India and Pakistan—50,000 tonnes through international tender from India and another 50,000 tonnes from Pakistan via direct G2G negotiations.
Public food stocks stood at 13.07 lakh tonnes, which includes 9.34 lakh tonnes of rice, on January 28.
Meanwhile, food ministry officials said they have initiated efforts for both government-to-government arrangements and open tenders for rice import.
Bangladesh has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnam and Myanmar for rice imports and the deals are valid until 2027, they said.
In addition, the advisory committee on government purchases recently eased public procurement rules for rice imports through open tender, bringing down the time needed to 15 days from 42 days.
Source: BSS