Govt plans to procure 32 lakh tons of food to tackle food security

DHAKA, Bangladesh, June 10 (BSS) -Bangladesh government has taken a plan to procure 32 lakh tons of food grains, which include internal procurement and import aiming at tackling food security related risks in the country. "As part from this, we have a comprehensive plan to distribute food to the tune of 30 lakh metric tons through a number of programmes including Open Market Sales (OMS), Food for Work, Vulnerable Group Feeding, Vulnerable Group Development, Test Relief and Gratuitous Relief programmes," Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam stated this while announcing the national budget for 2008-09 fiscal today. He said, due to the hard work of our farmers along with the support of the government in the form of providing fertilizer and fuel, we had a bumper production of potato and wheat this year. This has largely reduced our vulnerability to food insecurity. By the end of the fiscal year, the finance adviser said, the government will still have a stock of 10 lakh metric tons of food grains which will help tackle the food security related risks. Dr Azizul said the administration has taken necessary steps to keep the price and supply of essential food items like rice, wheat, edible oil, lentils, onion and garlic at a normal level at all times and especially during the month of Ramadan. "I would like to throw some light on the state of food security and food management. You are aware that due to climatic change calamities like drought, wildfire and floods have reduced food production in many countries. Alternative use of crops to produce bio-fuels in the developed countries has reduced the food supply in the global food market," he added. He said "Besides, the phenomenal growth in some densely populated countries has increased the aggregate demand of food. At the same time, he said, protectionist policy adopted by food- grain exporting countries, the price of wheat and rice increased rapidly. In addition to the overseas procurement by the Food Directorate and BDR, the finance adviser said, efforts are continuing to import rice and wheat by giving incentives to the private sector. An incentive pricing system for domestic procurement of wheat and rice will encourage our farmers in producing more rice and wheat, he said. Dr Mirza Azizul Islam said combined with this, our planned assistance in the form of providing fertilizer, irrigation, agricultural credit and seed can significantly mitigate the existing food gap.