Information Officer Munilal Kushwaha said that since the branch started purchasing farmers' rice through the token system this year, it has been convenient for both the office and the farmers.
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The Birgunj branch of the Food Management and Trading Company Limited has purchased 2,664 quintals and 95 kg of rice as of Monday.
The branch's information officer, Munilal Kushwaha, said that the purchase of rice started on December 20 and that this amount of rice has been purchased till Monday.
The branch has started purchasing rice from farmers through the token system from this year. Kushwaha said that this system is convenient for both the office and the farmers.
Since tokens have already been distributed to farmers at the rate of 40 quintals of rice purchase, farmers are bringing rice to sell only on the day of their turn, so the purchase and sale is taking place in an orderly manner, unlike the previous year, he said.
Before the purchase of rice, 170 tokens were distributed from the office. Some farmers are saying that it is difficult to bring rice due to the cold wave. He said that if the farmers who have taken tokens as per the target do not bring rice, tokens have been distributed to an additional dozen farmers as an alternative arrangement.
He said that if the farmers who have received tokens do not bring rice as per the target, they will be purchased from the farmers on the waiting list.
So far, farmers have brought rice for sale from Parsa, Bara and Rautahat districts. Farmers from Sarlahi have also taken tokens from the branch.
This year, the branch has received a quota of 10,000 quintals of rice. Kushwaha says that it is likely that rice in this quantity will be purchased from farmers who have taken tokens. This year too, the branch is purchasing only Sona Mansuli rice. Since the federal government has fixed the support price of Sona Mansuli rice at Rs 3,628.33 per quintal this year, the branch is also purchasing at the same price.
Last year, the branch had received a quota of 42,000 quintals of rice. But after getting good prices from the private sector, farmers did not come to the branch to sell the targeted quantity of rice. Last year, the branch's target was to purchase 32,000 quintals of Sona Mansuli and 10,000 quintals of cumin rice.
Generally, private entrepreneurs in this area can start purchasing rice before the food department starts purchasing rice. After the private sector offered a higher price than the government's support price, farmers preferred to sell rice to traders rather than to food.
This year, as traders started purchasing rice for food without increasing the price of rice, farmers have brought it to food to sell. Kushwaha said that there is a plan to purchase rice as per the target by Magh 4 this year.
