Ensure sufficient supply of rice

Last week, the Rice Mill Owners' Association wrote to the Prime Minister's Office where its general secretary claimed that the prices of paddy and rice have gone up in the market and they are not being able to supply rice at the price set by the government.

The letter comes at a time when the government had to expand its food aid programme due to the coronavirus crisis. The government buys most of the rice from the rice mill owners and only a small portion directly from the farmers. This is not the best of the policies and the government has to pay compensation for this time and again.

Even during the rice crisis in 2017, the rice mill owners did the same thing. So it would not be right to give in to the whims of the rice mill owners. This will increase the price of rice in the market and it will go beyond the purchasing power of the people with limited income.

Food security is not ensured if there is enough food in the country, and it must be available within the buying capacity of the common people. Food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder also said that rice mill owners have to provide the rice only at Tk 36 per kg according to the contract. He said action would be taken if rice would not be provided by 31 August.

We don't think it is wise to wait till 31 August. This needs to be decided now. If necessary, the government should sit with the rice mill owners. If the owners do not provide rice at the fixed price, the government can also buy rice through an open tender. The price of rice should not be allowed to rise in any way.

AMM Shawkat Ali, a former adviser to the caretaker government, said the government could reduce the import duty on rice again to handle the situation. If rice is imported, the price will go down. Then the rice mill owners will not be able to give a lame excuse to increase the price in the market.

The government should not bow down to the demands of the rice mill owners who want to make extra profit by taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis.

The government has to take decisions that benefit the people and implement them. It is also important to ensure that the government storehouses have adequate storage of rice.