The Birgunj branch of Food Management and Trading Company Limited has stopped purchasing paddy this year. Samir Dahal, information officer of the branch informed that the purchase of paddy has been stopped since February 20 after receiving the letter to purchase paddy from the center.

"The center has also issued a notification that all branches have stopped buying rice at the same time after the rice did not come from the farmers as per the target from the branches all over the country," he said, "The branch has stopped the purchase based on the same notification." 

This year, the branch that started purchasing paddy from December 20 could only purchase 4,180 quintals of paddy. After not enough rice was received from the farmers, the branch also purchased only 1 thousand 854 quintals of 30 kg of rice from Vishwakarma Baba Krishi Sahakari Sanstha located in Mahagadhimai Municipality of Bara. 

Dahal said that when he started purchasing paddy, the price of food was higher, but later, when the private sector gave a higher price, farmers may not have brought food to sell rice. Currently, the private sector is buying Sona Mansuli paddy at 3,700 rupees per quintal. 

Food had fixed the purchase price of this rice at 3,580 rupees 62 paise per quintal. The support price of Sona Mansuli paddy is determined by the federal government. 

This year Birgunj branch got a quota of 42 thousand quintals of paddy purchase from the center. In which 32,000 quintals of Sona Mansuli and 10,000 quintals of cumin were the quotas for the purchase of milled rice. Cumin milled paddy was purchased at Rs 4,000 per quintal, but the farmers did not bring even a single quintal of cumin milled paddy for sale. The purchase price of this paddy was determined by the local primary purchase committee with the chief district officer as the coordinator.  Although the