Bangladesh rice output hits a record high

Rice production edged up to a new high last fiscal year due to an increase in yield in all three crops seasons for favourable weather and a more balanced use of fertiliser.
Production rose to 3.44 crore tonnes in fiscal 2013-14, from 3.38 crore tonnes a year ago, thanks to a record boro output.
Boro yield rose 1.6 percent year-on-year to 1.90 crore tonnes in fiscal 2013-14, according to a recent estimate by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Despite the rise in output, imports started to show an upward trend in fiscal 2014-15 that began in July. Some 4,840 tonnes of rice were imported during July to September 28, according to data from the food ministry. During July to September 18 last year, 990 tonnes of rice were imported.
"Maybe some importers are bringing in rice from neighbouring countries to reap price benefits," said Abul Bashar Chowdhury, chairman of Chittagong-based BSM Group.
This was another year of increased rice yield despite falling cultivable land to grow the staple.
The country stands well above its annual food grain consumption requirement of less than three crore tonnes, according to a study by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies.
The research organisation estimated that the daily per capita food grain consumption was 509 grams, including rice at 462 grams.
As a result, retail prices of rice have remained stable in the past couple of months. One of the main reasons behind this is a high level of global production of rice and wheat.

Food grain prices have been the lowest in recent years worldwide, Chowdhury said.
Banking on higher production and increased public stocks, the government has decided to export 50,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka under a special arrangement.
The government decision comes at a time when damage to aman seedlings due to recurrent floods is feared to affect production.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said most farmers were able to replant the seedlings of the second biggest crop on their affected fields after the floods.
But recent floods in some districts have affected crops, mostly aman paddy, on 1.13 lakh hectares of land, said a senior official of the DAE, seeking anonymity.
The DAE targeted to bring 52.50 lakh hectares of crop land under aman cultivation. So far, 55.05 lakh hectares have come under transplantation, the official said.
"Farmers replanted more than 90 percent of the seedlings in the fields damaged by the floods. But the recurrence of the floods is more depressing," he said.
The DAE aims to ensure production of 1.34 crore tonnes of rice from aman cultivation. It also targets 24 lakh tonnes of the staple during the aus season by ensuring cultivation on 10.55 lakh hectares.
The US Department of Agriculture lowered its prediction on Bangladesh's rice harvest last month. It says Bangladesh may harvest 3.46 crore tonnes of rice in the current fiscal year, down from its previous projection of 3.48 crore tonnes.

India firm makes low offer in Bangladesh rice tender

Indian firm M. Sons Group made the lowest offer of $477.51 a tonne, including cost and freight, in a Bangladesh tender to buy 30,000 tonnes of non-basmati parboiled rice that opened on Thursday, a food official said. The tender was issued by the state grains buyer early this month, and shipment is within 40 days of signing the contract, which will take place after the cabinet committee's approval. The offer was $33.51 per tonne higher than the country's last tender that opened last week, in which the same firm submitted the lowest offer of $444 a tonne to supply a similar quantity of parboiled rice. The highest offer was $575 a tonne, made by the Thai firm Daow, the food official said. The government has doubled its planned rice imports for this year to 600,000 tonnes after wheat prices spiked due to export curbs in the drought-ravaged Black Sea region. Deals to ship around 345,000 tonnes of Black Sea wheat to Bangladesh have been cancelled so far. Chicago wheat futures hit a two-year high after Russia barred shipments in early August, and since then prices have fallen by more than 20 percent but are still well above levels before the surge. On Thursday, the Bangladesh state grains buyer issued one new tender to import 30,000 tonnes of parboiled rice and another to buy 50,000 tonnes of wheat, both with an offer deadline of Aug. 30. Bangladesh, the world's fourth-biggest rice producer, harvested a record high rice crop of more than 34.45 million tonnes in the year to June, but the government failed to procure enough rice locally. The government's food reserves have come under added pressure as it has started selling rice at subsidised rates to help the poor during the Muslim fasting month Ramadan and to contain food inflation, now running at nearly 11 percent. Besides issuing tenders, the government is also trying to buy grains through state-to-state deals to build buffer stocks, which stand at 700,000 tonnes against a target of 1.5 million tonnes. Bangladesh has signed a contract to import 100,000 tonnes of 15 percent broken rice with Vietnam's top rice exporter, Vinafood 2, at $389 per tonne, while negotiating to buy more rice from there, food officials said. India also has allowed the export of 300,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice and 200,000 tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh. Food security is a major concern for the government as nearly 38 percent of the country's population of more than 150 million still live on less $1 a day.

Bangladesh Seeking To Buy Vietnamese Rice

According to local media reports, the government of Bangladesh is sending an official delegation to Vietnam to lock-in supplies of rice in an attempt to offset defaults in wheat imports.

Flood tolerant paddy can make Bangladesh rice exporting nation

Renowned rice scientist and country manager of IRRI-Bangladesh Dr MA Bari has said the country can export rice in near future after meeting its own demand through expanded farming of flood tolerant variety paddies. Bangladesh can produce an additional 60-lakh tonnes of paddy annually to ensure its food security by brining all 12 lakh hectares potential low-lying and flood-prone lands under farming of four such variety paddies amid adverse impacts of climate changes, he said. He said this while distributing seeds of flood tolerant variety paddies among the farmers of sadar union, Belgachha, Halokhana, Mogalbasa, Kanthalbari, Panchgachhi, Jatrapur and Ghoghadaho unions at Bhogdanga union office premises in Kurigram on Saturday. NGO Solidarity organised the seed distribution ceremony with the assistance of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Inter Co-operation with its executive director and valiant freedom fighter Harunur Rashid Lal in the chair. Officials of Solidarity, local farmers, public representatives, member of Technical Working Group of Cereal Systems Initiatives for South Asia and Staff Reporter of BSS Mamun Islam, BSS Kurigram Correspondent Abdul Khalek Faruk, addressed. Dr Bari said Bangladesh goes to large-scale countrywide farming of epoch-making flash-flood tolerant variety paddies from this season after official release of two varieties of the seeds to ultimately produce an additional six million tonnes paddy annually. Distribution of 50 tonnes seeds of Swarna Sub1, BR11 Sub1, IR64 Sub1 and Sambamasuri Sub1 flood-tolerant variety paddies among 25,000 farmers in 21 districts throughout the country has now been nearing completion, he said. A total of 2,000 hectares land would be brought under farming of these paddies in these districts under six agriculture zones this season and the same will also be cultivated on demonstration plots in Rajshahi and Jessore zones to attract the farmers. He urged the farmers to preserve their seeds after harvests of the paddies and suggested all partner NGOs and organisations for taking necessary steps to commercially produce, preserve and distribute quality seeds of these paddies in future. On the other hand, the farmers expressed their happiness following release of the seeds of flood tolerant Swarna Sub 1 as BRRI dhan 51 and BR 11 Sub 1 as BRRI dhan 52 varieties last month by the technical committee of the National Seed Certification Board. Harunur Rashid Lal said his organisation Solidarity successfully cultivated these submergence variety paddies last year and has taken an extended programme for its farming in all nine upazilas in Kurigram during this Aman season. "We are now completing distribution of 4,560 kg seeds of these four flood tolerant entries among 2.280 farmers to bring a total of 304 hectares land under the farming of these paddies in Kurigram this season," he said. It is possible to produce additional two lakh tonnes rice annually in Kurigram alone through farming of these paddies on 40,000 hectares that go under flash-flood water and remain inundated for 10-16 days every year damaging huge Aman paddies, he added. He said that the farmers are now preparing to cultivate these paddies, which can sustain 10 to 17 days submergence under flash flood waters paving the way for producing five tonnes paddy per hectare in the vast flash flood prone areas. Dr Bari said, scientists of BRRI, IRRI, Central Rice Research Institute and Norendra Dev University of Agriculture Technology of India and University of California (UC, Davis & Riverside) developed and validated the epoch-making technology. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have been providing financial assistances through IRRI to increase seed productions and disseminate the technology under its Stress Tolerant Rice for Poor Farmers in Africa & South Asia (STRASA) programme. Preparations of seedbeds and transplantation seedlings of all four Sub 1 entries will be completed by July 30 to start harvest with the short duration IR 64 Sub 1 from the end of September and the total harvest will end along with traditional T-Aman, Dr Bari said.

Bangladesh Rice output may drop 7% a year

Rice productivity could decline by 7.4 percent every year until 2050 due

to changing weather.

A study report projects that lost agricultural productivity could amount
to a total loss of $3 billion every year (Tk 210 billion) totalling $121
billion in lost GDP during a 45-year period between 2005 and 2050.

The report on investment in agriculture for higher growth, productivity
and adaptation to climate change projects a likely scenario under the
current weather patterns and finds that the total economy-wide impact in
terms of lost GDP during the period could go up to a staggering $121
billion.

Authored by M Asaduzzaman, research director of Bangladesh Institute of
Development Studies along with Claudia Ringler and James Turlow from the
International Food Policy Research Institute, and Shafiqul Alam from the
agriculture ministry, the report states that climate change also has
broader economy-wide implications.

The study estimates that this would cost Bangladesh $26 billion in terms
of lost agricultural GDP over the 45-year period, equivalent to $570
million per year, "an average annual 1.15 percent reduction in total GDP."

But given Bangladesh's dependence on agriculture, especially in terms of
employment and contribution to GDP, with over 50 percent of the labour
force engaged as farm labourers and accounting for a fifth of the
national GDP, the economy-wide impact of lost agricultural productivity
is quite staggering.

The paper was presented at the first technical session of the two-day
Bangladesh Food Security Investment Forum that began on Wednesday in Dhaka.

Devoting much space and emphasis on climate change the report states
that existing climate variability can have pronounced detrimental
economy-wide impacts. "Future climate change will exacerbate these
negative effects."

Earlier in the morning, prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the
forum, organised by the Bangladesh government.

Mahbub Hossain, executive director of BRAC, pointed to the

India to export rice to Bangladesh

India has again relaxed its ban on export of food grains to facilitate supply exclusively to Bangladesh. The Indian commerce ministry partially lifted the two-year-old prohibition on overseas shipment of rice to allow export of altogether 100,000 tonnes of the grain to Bangladesh. India's decision to allow rice export to Bangladesh came just a few days after New Delhi relaxed the ban on export of wheat to facilitate supply of 400,000 tonnes. India's foreign trade DG, R S Gujral, stated that three Indian Public Sector Undertakings – Minerals and Metal Trading Corporation Limited (MMTCL), State Trading Corporation Limited (STCL) and Project, Equipment and Commodity Limited (PECL) – would export 100,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice (parboiled) to Bangladesh. While STCL will export 50000 tonnes, the MMTCL and PECL will supply 25000 tonnes each. Gujral said that export would be undertaken directly and only by the designated Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). He also stated that (Bangladesh) would be advised to enter into contract only with the designated Indian PSUs "in terms of GATT provisions". The PSUs would buy rice from the market from all over India at a price as close to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) as possible, so as not to disturb the existing price situation in the market. The MSP for the common grade paddy has been fixed at Indian Rs 10 per kg, and at Indian Rs 10.3 for the Grade A variety for (October-September) 2009-2010. India had banned basmati rice export in April 2008, but relaxed the prohibition on a few occasions earlier to facilitate supply to neighbouring countries and also to African countries. According to the latest data, India's rice procurement was estimated to be 27.66 million tonnes for 2009-10 marketing year, down by about 0.3 per cent over the previous year. The food corporation of India expects that government rice procurement would touch the 30 million tonne mark in 2009-10.

India Govt permits export of one lakh tonnes of rice to Bangladesh

The government today permitted the export of one lakh tonnes of non-basmati rice to Bangladesh on diplomatic grounds, even though there has been a ban on shipments since 2008. The export will be undertaken by state-owned trading firms -- STC, MMTC and PEC-- who have been asked to source the grain from the open market at a rate close to the minimum support price (MSP). Although there has been a ban on the export of non-basmati rice since April 2008, the government had permitted rice to be shipped to neighbouring countries and the African continent on several occasions in the past. In a notification, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said that the prohibition should not be applied in this particular case. "Export (of the non-basmati rice) will be undertaken directly, and only by the designated PSUs (STC, MMTC and PEC)," the DGFT said. "PSUs will buy rice from markets across the country...at a price as close to the MSP as possible, so as not to disturb the existing price situation in the market," it added. The MSP for the common grade of paddy has been fixed at Rs 1,000 per quintal, and at Rs 1,030 per quintal for the Grade A variety for marketing year (October-September) 2009-10. While STC would export 50,000 tonnes of rice, MMTC and PEC have been assigned 25,000 tonnes each. On May 17, rice procurement was estimated at 27.66 million tonnes for the 2009-10 marketing year, down by about 3 per cent over the previous year. FCI expects rice procurement by the government in marketing year 2009-10 to touch the 30 million-tonne mark. Last week, the government had permitted the export of four lakh tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh from the Central pool, at about Rs 15.43 a kg.

Bangladesh approves white rice imports at $388.92/T

Singapore-based Indo-Sino and local Tanvir Enterprise have won a Bangladesh tender to buy 50,000 tonnes of white rice at $388.92 per tonne, cost and freight, a official said on Sunday. The country's state grain buyer in February issued the tender to import white rice from any origin that closed on March 7, as part of an effort to hold down domestic prices. Indo-Sino, which made the lowest offer at $388.92 in the tender, would supply 35,000 tonnes of white rice while second-lowest bidder Tanvir Enterprise would supply the rest 15,000 tonnes at the same rate, the food official said. "The cabinet purchase committee approved the proposal at a meeting on Sunday, and will soon sign contracts with the companies. Shipment must take place within 60 days after the signing," he said. Indo-Sino also made the lowest offer at $492 a tonne, c&f, in another tender to buy 50,000 tonnes of parboiled rice, that closed on March 22. Bangladesh, the world's fourth biggest rice producer, plans to import 300,000 tonnes of rice in the current fiscal year through June. Market sources said it could be part of a government move to build food reserves after it failed to procure enough rice locally. The government is also buying 750,000 tonnes of wheat by June. The south Asian country produces around 30 million tonnes of rice, normally enough to feed its population of 150 million, but often requires imports to cope with shortages due to natural calamities such as floods and droughts. Bangladesh had to import rice worth $800 million in 2008. Rice prices have risen over the past few months despite a good crop and healthy levels of stocks. In January, the government extended a ban on rice exports until June to contain price increases. Bangladesh usually exports a small quantity of aromatic rice. At that time, the government also started open market sales of rice in the capital and adjoining districts to tame food inflation, which shot up 10.56 percent in January from a year earlier after a rise of 9.50 percent in December.

Bangladesh to import wheat on back of rice crunch

The government is importing 4.5 lakh tonnes of wheat to compensate for the deficit in procurement of Aman rice and lack of rice in the international market. The import is aimed at meeting the country's internal food demand and bolstering food security programmes. Food ministry officials said the wheat is being imported from Russia and Turkey. "In spite of having sufficient food reserves, the government is going for import because of some problems in production situation," Food and disaster management minister Abdur Razzak told bdnews24.com. However, the decision to import wheat has been taken due to lack of enough rice in the international market, he said. "We're getting proposals for importing rice from various countries including India", the minister said, adding "but the problem is no other country exports boiled rice except India". . "However, India has stopped rice exports for lack of productions. Countries who want to export to Bangladesh, including Thailand and Myanmar, sell un-boiled rice which we cannot bring in large amounts due to lack of popularity." Under these circumstances, the government has taken initiative to import wheat to make up for the food deficit, the minister said. According to the food ministry, the procurement target of Aman rice was 3 lakh tonnes. But so far only 22,000 tonnes have been procured. Ministry officials said that the government has around 7.5 lakh tonnes of food reserve, which cannot be released until the production situation in the Boro season becomes clear. The food minister said that they are prepared to start Test Relief programme at upazila levels. But it is being deferred because of the delay in wheat import. The ministry is intent on releasing this year's first wheat allocations under the TR programme by Mar 26. The first consignment of 3 lakh tonnes of wheat are to reach the country by the end of March and the second shipment of 1.5 lakh tonnes is to arrive by Apr 12. The government expects to release the imported wheat by Apr 26. Disaster management bureau director general Zahirul Huq told bdnews24.com that no wheat allocations have been given so far, but it is expected to begin with the TR programme and might be given to other projects later

Bangladesh internal rice merket

The coarse rice has been selling at taka 22 to 28 based on quality, middle quality BR-29 for taka 32 and the fine quality of rice at taka 40 to 41 in Amtally Upazilla of Barguna district The retailers said, there was litle sign of the price coming down soon.

Bangladesh to tender for 50,000 tonnes of rice

Bangladesh's state grains buyer will tender this week to buy 50,000 tonnes of parboiled rice to replenish food reserves, a food official said on Tuesday. Bangladesh, the world's fourth biggest rice producer, plans to import 300,000 tonnes of rice in the current fiscal year to the end of June. "We are going to issue an international tender soon to buy 50,000 tonnes of rice to shore up our stocks," said an official of the Directorate General of Food who declined to be quoted because he is not authorized to speak to the media. Market sources said it could be part of a government move to build food reserves after failing to procure enough rice locally. Rice prices have risen over the past few months despite good crops and healthy levels of stocks. Bangladesh is buying 25,000 tonnes of white rice at $395 per tonne from the Singapore-based Indo-Sino Trade Pte Ltd in an international tender. Indo-Sino also made the lowest offer at $388.92 a tonne in another Bangladesh tender to buy white rice that closed on Sunday. In January, the government extended a ban on rice exports until June to curb price increases and ensure availability of the staple in the domestic market. At that time, the government also started open market sales of rice in the capital and adjoining districts to hold down prices. The south Asian country produces around 30 million tonnes of rice, normally enough to feed its 150 million people, but often requires imports to cope with shortages due to natural calamities such as floods and droughts. Bangladesh had to import rice worth $800 million in 2008.

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.

Bangladesh Grain and Feed

Assuming normal weather conditions, Bangladesh‟s foodgrain production in MY 2010/11 is forecast at 33.3 million tons (32.3 million tons of rice and 1.0 million tons of wheat), up by 2 percent from the current MY 2009/10 productions. Imports of foodgrains are forecast at 400,000 tons of rice and 2.5 million tons of wheat. Bangladeshi importers are currently sourcing their wheat from other origins due to an Indian ban on wheat exports.

Rice consumption (food, seed, and feed use together) in MY 2010/11 is forecast at 33 million tons assuming a stable wheat supply situation in the Country. Consumption in MY 2009/10 is estimated at 32 million tons up by around 3 percent from MY 2008/09 consumptions. Bumper rice productions in consecutive seasons resulted in a very good stock of rice at government and traders level. The average wholesale price of coarse rice was Taka 21750 (US $320) per ton in December 2009, as compared to Taka 24590 (US $362) in December 2008. The declining trend of rice price since the beginning of MY 2008/09 continued until October of the current MY 2009/10 when the price of rice started to rise. Rice price in January, 2010 marginally crossed the last year‟s price level at this time. The current rising trend of rice prices is unprecedented especially after the harvest of a good Aman rice crop.

Based on the current production forecast, and considering the large carryover stocks held by the farmers, traders and the government, rice imports in MY 2010/11 are forecast at 400,000 tons.
Rice imports in MY 2009/10 are estimated at 400,000 tons (comprising of 200,000 tons public sector imports and the rest private sector imports) as compared to 602,000 tons in MY 2008/09. On a calendar year basis, rice imports in 2009 are estimated at 146,000 tons as compared to 1.68 million tons in 2008, the year heavily affected by crop losses due to cyclones and floods.

Public sector beginning stocks of rice in MY 2009/10 are estimated at 1.15 million tons. In addition to these, stocks of about 8 million tons of rice are estimated to be carried over with the farmers and the traders. However, these private stocks are not included in the PS&D table. The government‟s rice procurement target for MY 2009/10 is 1.5 million tons, as compared to last year‟s actual procurement of 1.45 million tons. The government held stock as on December 31, 2009 was 983,000 tons as compared to 842,000 ton on December 31, 2008. The MY 2009/10 target of public distribution of rice is 1.8 million tons comprising of 1.1 million tons free distribution in kind to the rural vulnerable population and 700,000 tons sales at subsidized prices. Actual distribution of rice by the government was 1.76 million tons in MY 2008/09 out of which about 80 percent was free distribution in kind and the rest was subsidized sales.

Rice imports into Bangladesh are currently duty free. There is no quantitative restriction on rice imports. A ban on export of rice has been in force since May 2008.

Rice price on rise in Bangladesh despite big stock

Rice price rose by five to 18 percent in last one month in spite of the 11.5 lakh metric tonnes of the grain in government stocks and projected Aman production of 1.3 crore tonnes.

Prices of fine rice now range from Tk 32 a kilogram to Tk 44, while medium quality and coarse rice prices range from Tk 26 to Tk 33 a kg, according to a Trading Corporation of Bangladesh report released on January 6.

Meanwhile, rising by 7 to 15 percent, flour now sells at Tk 22 to Tk 34 a kg, which was Tk 19 to Tk 32 a month back.

Agronomists say the price hike is basically driven by high international prices, especially as India and Philippines faced production shortfall in droughts and typhoons respectively late last year.

India lost 15 million metric tonnes of production while the Philippines imported 2.5 million metric tonnes of rice last year. Rice price in India remains $330 to $470 per tonne, while Thailand is not exporting rice at prices below $500 per tonne. India also maintains bans on rice export since 2007.

Agreeing to that Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque said cold wave, which hampered milling of rice, also contributed to the rise.

"This price is not very intolerable and once the cold wave goes, market will be stable," he also said at a media briefing at his ministry.

He stressed starting open market sales to stable market if necessary saying the ministry already allocated 3,20,750 tonnes of rice for Food for Work and Test Relief.

Meanwhile, economist Dr Mahabub Hossain said present price of rice is acceptable provided that farmers get benefit from it, but traders' syndication may manipulate it in line with international prices.

He said rice situation now in domestic market is good and so there is no reason for any further price hike.

Domestic annual rice demand is 2.7 crore tonnes, while this fiscal year's production is projected at 3.2 crore tonnes, including 1.9 crore tonnes boro next season, Dr Hossain said.

On wheat price hike, Shahidul Islam, former director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, said wheat prices now depend largely on international market, as domestic wheat production declined to only 7 lakh metric tonnes from some 20 lakh tonnes a decade back.

Last year, the wheat prices increased by 20 percent late in November compared to September, mainly because of price developments in other markets, especially maize and rice, says Food Outlook -- a monthly Internet based newsletter of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released in December.

In November, the price of United States' wheat averaged $228 per tonne, up 14 percent from September.

Under such realities, experts suggested efficient supply chain management and to ensure good Boro production this season.

“As wheat price is low compared to rice in the international market, the government can import in bulk and use them for social safety net programmes,” Mahabub Hossain said.

Shahidul Islam said the government already announced subsidies in fertilizers and diesel, which was good, but a declaration of the rice procurement now -- to check any crisis -- can encourage farmers to grow more rice.

Food minister said his office was intensively monitoring the price spiral and intervened the market in any need.

“But, we also have to remember better prices work as incentives for farmers to grow more crops,” he said.

About wheat import in bulk, the minister said the government is importing three lakh tonnes. Besides at private level, around 16-17 tonnes of wheat was imported, Razzaque noted.

Bangladesh Govt extends ban on rice export

The government has extended the ban on rice export to six more months, a commerce ministry statement said on Thursday.

The period on the restriction expires on Thursday. The new extension will be effective from Friday, the statement said.

The government extended the ban in June.

The previous caretaker government, for the first time, imposed the ban on rice export following the hike in the prices of the staple, it added.