The Birgunj branch of Food Management and Trading Company Limited will purchase paddy from Thursday. According to Samir Dahal, information officer of the branch, this year, cumin rice per quintal will be purchased at Rs 4,000 and Sona Mansuli paddy at Rs 3,580 per quintal.
He said that they are going to start buying rice immediately after the purchase price of cumin milled rice is determined by the local primary purchase committee, which is coordinated by the chief district officer. The federal government has already fixed the support price of Sona Mansuli paddy at 3,580 rupees 62 paise per quintal.
Dahal also said that the quota of 42,000 quintals of paddy purchase has been received from the center this year. Out of the 42 thousand quintal quota, 32 thousand quintals of Sona Mansuli and 10 thousand quintals of cumin milled rice have been received. Farmers who come to sell paddy should also bring a copy of the citizenship certificate and, if the branch deems it necessary, a recommendation that the farmer has been certified by the agriculture branch of the respective municipality. Dahal says that this was done to discourage traders and middlemen.
Last year, when the price of food was lower than that of the private sector, the food Birgunj branch was unable to purchase rice because the farmers did not bring rice. In general, the private sector can start buying rice before the food industry starts buying rice. As they pay more than the support price set by the government, farmers prefer to sell rice to the private sector rather than food. This year, since the purchase price of rice in the private sector is lower than that of food, there is a possibility that farmers will sell rice.
This year, apart from Birganj, the possibility of purchasing paddy from Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Makwanpur and Chitwan was studied. The employees from the center were stationed in these districts and studied the possibility of purchasing paddy. Dahal also said that while buying rice in other districts and other municipalities in Parsa, those municipalities have arranged for security and warehouses, and the policy of purchasing rice from those municipalities has been adopted.
