The local administration of Joypurhat district has decided to cancel the registration of 61 rice mills that failed to reach an agreement with the government for supplying boiled rice during the ongoing Aman season.
According to the district food controller’s office, this decision aims to ensure a proper supply of rice at the government-fixed price. Rice mills that do not sign contracts with the government will be prohibited from supplying food grains in the future, and their electricity connections will also be discontinued.
This year, the government has set the procurement price for paddy at Tk33 per kg and boiled rice at Tk47 per kg. However, due to high rice prices in the open market, mill owners have shown little interest in supplying rice to government warehouses.
Joypurhat district has a total of 360 registered rice mills, including 21 auto rice mills and 339 husking rice mills. Out of these, 66 rice mills have not entered into agreements with the government for rice supply this year.
Earlier, the district food controller's office issued a notice to the mills between January 1 and January 12. Following this notice, only five mill owners expressed their interest in supplying rice.
Three rice mill owners, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that while they sometimes make decent profits, they frequently face significant losses. They mentioned that it is not feasible to incur losses year after year just to maintain their registration.
Md Mostafizar Rahman, a miller from Kalai upazila, remarked, "Those who can afford it have signed agreements. As small millers, it is challenging for us to supply rice at a loss."
Golam Mostafa, another rice mill owner, shared, "We supplied 88 tonnes of rice to the government warehouse, resulting in a loss of around Tk2 lakh."
KM Layek Ali, president of the Joypurhat Rice Mills Owners’ Association, noted that the market prices for paddy and rice are higher than those set by the government, making it unacceptable for mill owners to absorb large losses.
Official data indicates that the government aims to collect 13,786 tonnes of boiled rice and 4,839 tonnes of paddy during the ongoing Aman season. However, only 10,630 tonnes of rice and 180 tonnes of paddy have been collected, so far.
District Food Controller Kamal Hossain stated that there is still one month left in the paddy and rice harvesting season, but he fears that the collection target may not be met given the current circumstances.
Insiders have suggested that if the government does not revise its policies to align with market prices, the collection of paddy and rice may face even greater challenges.