The Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC) Limited in Birgunj with a large area bears a deserted look most of the time throughout the year. But there is not a place to keep one’s food now.
Entire premises of the company’s Birgunj branch is filled with tractors loaded with the sacks of rice grains and the staff at all units are surrounded by the bustling movement of
farmers.
The office is filled with farmers from 9:30 AM in the morning to 6:00 PM in the evening. They have flocked to the FMTC to sell their produces after the company offered prices higher than the market.
From Thursday, December 23, the state-owned company is offering about Rs. 500-600 higher than the food industries in the surrounding areas per quintal of rice grains which has attracted the farmers to the FMTC.
In the last two days of the last week, the company procured 1010.75 quintal Sona Mansuli rice grains and till Sunday afternoon, more than 70 tractors have entered the premises of the office, said Chief of the FMTC Birgunj Branch, Bikas Katuwal.
To facilitate the farmers with quick and simple service, the company is operating three weighing machines. However, it is facing the shortage of workers. “We are buying the produces from the farmers who come here with up to 25 quintals of rice grains. Payment is also made in cash as per the requirement,” said Katuwal.
Information Officer of the company, Munilal Kushwaha, said that the office had received the direction from the central office of the company to procure 1,500 tons Sona Mansuli and 300 tons Jeera Masino rice grains this year.
The government has set price of Rs. 2,902 for a quintal of Sona Mansuli and Rs. 2,910 for Jeera Masino.
The office has a local primary procurement committee coordinated by the Chief District Officer which has chief of FMTC Birgunj branch, chief of Agricultural Knowledge Centre, and representative from Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry as its members.
Farmers from Parsa and Bara district bring their rice to FMTC’s Birgunj branch to sell. According to Kushwaha, rice purchase was delayed as the government announced the support price for the produce recently.
Source : TRN,
