The state-owned enterprise, Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC), has planned to purchase 30,200 tonnes of paddy for the current fiscal year 2022/23.
According to Shrimani Raj Khanal, deputy general manager of FMTC, the Company has planned to purchase 30,200 tonnes of paddy for the current fiscal year.
The FMTC has allocated Rs. 989 million to purchase paddy, he said, adding that the Company would begin to purchase paddy in three weeks.
“Even though paddy harvesting has started all over the country, the rice grains produced from raw and cold paddy are not of good quality. So we are planning to buy the paddy after it dries,” he told The Rising Nepal.
He said that the FMCT would purchase paddy at the minimum support price fixed by the government.
The government had recently fixed the minimum support price of paddy.
The price of coarse paddy has been fixed at Rs. 2,967 per quintal and medium paddy at Rs. 3,128 per quintal.
Compared to last year, the minimum support price for coarse paddy has increased by Rs. 215 per quintal and medium variety paddy by Rs. 226 per quintal.
Last year, the FMTC was unable to purchase paddy as per its target because of the higher price given by the traders than the minimum support price, he said, adding that the FMTC target was to support the famers so that they could sell their products at a reasonable price.
The Company had purchased only 9,314 tonnes of paddy worth Rs. 268 million last fiscal year.
According to Khanal, the FMCT will purchase paddy from its various depots, including Birtamod, Biratnagar, Lahan, Janakpur, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Rajapur, Dhangadhi, Mahendranagar and Jumla.
“The minimum support price fixed by the government is comparatively higher than the market price. So, the FMTC claims the different rate amount from the government,” he said.
He said that the Company had to recover about Rs. 90 million from the government.
The FMTC has been supplying food to highly food-deficit districts, including Taplejung, Sankhusawa, Bhojpur, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Khotang, Manang, Gorkha, Mustang, Rukum, Rolpa, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Humla, Jumla, Mugu, Dolpa, Kalikot, Bajang, Bajura, Achham, Baitadi and Darchula.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, there is a budget arrangement of Rs. 330 million to purchase paddy through the agricultural cooperatives at the minimum support price.
Source : TRN,
