Bangladesh To Import 25,000 Tons Of Rice From Myanmar

Bangladesh is going to import 25,000 metric tons of sunned rice from Myanmar to meet the growing demand for the essential item in the local markets, officials said on Sunday.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the cabinet committee on public purchase held in the capital, Dhaka with Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair.

The government wants to ensure sufficient rice supply in the market, Food Minister Abdur Razzak told reporters after the meeting, adding that the government is also considering a proposal to soon import 5 million metric tons of rice.

Singapore-based Indo-Sino Trade Limited was awarded the contract to supply the bulk rice from Myanmar at the low bid rate of US$395 a ton.

The country's total production target of food grains during fiscal year 2009-10 (FY10) has been primarily fixed at 35.051 million metric tons. The actual production of food grains during FY 09 stood at 32.166 million metric tons.

Imports of food grains between July 2009 and January period ostood higher at 2.135 million metric tons, compared to 1.459 million metric tons in the same period the previous year, according to the central bank statistics.

However, stock of food grains including transit stock with the government stood lower at 1.051 million metric tons at the end of January compared to 1.308 million metric tons at the end of January 2009.