Yasir Wardad

Riding on a record-breaking Aman procurement, the government now aims to maximise grain collection from domestic sources during the upcoming Boro-harvesting season in a bid to bolster strategic food reserves amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

During the Aman procurement drive conducted between November and February of the current fiscal year (FY’26), the Directorate General of Food (DGoF) collected a record 1.08 million tonnes of rice and paddy.

Building on this success, the government now plans to procure around 1.8 million tonnes of rice and paddy during the Boro harvest season (May-August), a food ministry official said.

He noted that alongside continued imports through both public and private channels, the government is placing greater emphasis on domestic procurement to keep markets stable, support farmers and maintain adequate strategic reserves for food security.

DGoF Director (Procurement) Md Maniruzzaman said the ministry is initially targeting the purchase of 0.5 million tonnes of paddy and 1.2-1.3 million tonnes of rice from domestic market starting in May, with paddy procurement likely to begin earlier.

He added that a meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC), involving relevant ministries, will be held soon to finalise the procurement plan and minimum support prices. tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com

Published Date: April 9, 2026