Published
Monday, March 17, 2008 - 14:33
Bangladesh to import 20,000 MT rice from Burma
Following the Indian government's restriction of rice import to Bangladesh the advisers' Committee on Public Purchase on March 13 approved two tender proposals for the import of more 20,000 metric tons of non-boiled rice from Burma . This is part of the government's bid to control soaring rice prices after facing trouble with India , according to official source.
Following the Indian government's restriction of rice import to Bangladesh the advisers' Committee on Public Purchase on March 13 approved two tender proposals for the import of more 20,000 metric tons of non-boiled rice from Burma . This is part of the government's bid to control soaring rice prices after facing trouble with India , according to official source.
The availability of rice in Bangladesh falls short of demand and shortage has gone up following the devastation by cyclone Sidr. Many are facing scarcity of food in some districts of Bangladesh .
The food and disaster management ministry will import the rice to be supplied by two private firms in Burma . Each firm will supply 10,000 tones of rice at US$395.50 per tones.
The Bangladeshi government and private traders started importing rice from India and Burma after flooding caused large-scale loss of crops.
Rice is being imported from Burma to Bangladesh through the Teknaf land port and Chittagong port in Bangladesh . The price of the rice which is being imported through Teknaf land port is USD 325 a tone. However, the price for the rice imported through the Chittagong port has been fixed between USD 360 and USD 390.
The burden of guilt for the rice scarcity has been shifted to the Indian government's decision not to allow rice export at prices less than US$ 560 per tone recently.
Prices of rice is increasing every day in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country for a week now, leaving people on middle and low incomes in further distress.
Meanwhile importing rice from India has run into snags again as customs officials at Petrapole in India are not allowing rice consignments into Bangladesh as they are still waiting for directives from Kolkata Customs House even though the Indian Commerce Ministry gave the green signal to export 3,000 trucks of rice which is held up on the Indian side of the border.
The prices of coarse rice like Indian Swarna and Ratna rose from Tk.1120 to Tk.1160 per mound (40kg) in the wholesale market yesterday, while local varieties like Guti and Irri also shot up by Tk.110 to Tk.1140 per mound, said a local rice trader.
Similarly, private traders also started importing 10,000 metric tones of rice from Burma through Teknaf land port, according to rice traders from Teknaf.
Local people and rice traders said that rice prices are unlikely to come down until the Boro paddy harvest.
The availability of rice in Bangladesh falls short of demand and shortage has gone up following the devastation by cyclone Sidr. Many are facing scarcity of food in some districts of Bangladesh .
The food and disaster management ministry will import the rice to be supplied by two private firms in Burma . Each firm will supply 10,000 tones of rice at US$395.50 per tones.
The Bangladeshi government and private traders started importing rice from India and Burma after flooding caused large-scale loss of crops.
Rice is being imported from Burma to Bangladesh through the Teknaf land port and Chittagong port in Bangladesh . The price of the rice which is being imported through Teknaf land port is USD 325 a tone. However, the price for the rice imported through the Chittagong port has been fixed between USD 360 and USD 390.
The burden of guilt for the rice scarcity has been shifted to the Indian government's decision not to allow rice export at prices less than US$ 560 per tone recently.
Prices of rice is increasing every day in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country for a week now, leaving people on middle and low incomes in further distress.
Meanwhile importing rice from India has run into snags again as customs officials at Petrapole in India are not allowing rice consignments into Bangladesh as they are still waiting for directives from Kolkata Customs House even though the Indian Commerce Ministry gave the green signal to export 3,000 trucks of rice which is held up on the Indian side of the border.
The prices of coarse rice like Indian Swarna and Ratna rose from Tk.1120 to Tk.1160 per mound (40kg) in the wholesale market yesterday, while local varieties like Guti and Irri also shot up by Tk.110 to Tk.1140 per mound, said a local rice trader.
Similarly, private traders also started importing 10,000 metric tones of rice from Burma through Teknaf land port, according to rice traders from Teknaf.
Local people and rice traders said that rice prices are unlikely to come down until the Boro paddy harvest.
