DHAKA, Oct 8, 2023 (BSS) - Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder today said the government will purchase a total of 7 lakh tons of paddy and rice in the upcoming Aman season.

"As the price and procurement target of Aman paddy and rice for this year have been determined, two lakh metric tons of Aman paddy, four lakh metric tons of boiled rice and one lakh metric tons of Atap rice will be purchased," he said.

The minister said this while talking to the journalists after attending a meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee at the cabinet conference room of the Bangladesh Secretariat here, an official release said.

The food minister said that the government's procurement prices of Aman paddy and rice have also been fixed for this year.

The government will purchase Aman paddy at fixed price of Taka 30 per kilograms (kg) while boiled rice and atap rice at Tk 44 and Tk 43 per kg, he added.

While replying to a query of the journalists, he said the government has the capacity to stock 17.73 lakh metric tons of food grain at its warehouse.

He hoped that stock capacity would increase if more amount of food grain comes.

In the meeting, Agriculture Minister and Awami League (AL) Presidium Member Dr Md Abdur Razzaque said that the government's aim is to ensure food security during emergency situation and to keep the price of rice within the purchasing power of poor people.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman, Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain and Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem were present, among others, in the meeting.