India will be sending 150,000 tons of rice to Bangladesh as the latter has approved a proposal under the direct procurement method (DPM) to procure rice from different sources.
Bangladesh Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said that the government is trying to procure rice from different sources so that no problems arise in future.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved three separate proposals to procure 350,000 tons of rice under the DPM from India, Thailand and Vietnam.
The approval came during the eighth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday, held virtually with FM Kamal in chair.
After the meeting, the finance minister told the reporters that the proposal was approved in principle for procuring 150,000 tons of non-basmati boiled rice under the DPM method from the Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd (PUNSUP) of India, to meet emergency purposes.
He said the meeting approved another proposal from the Ministry of Food for importing another 150,000 tons from the Sakonnakhon National Farmers Council, Office of the Prime Minister, in Thailand.
The third proposal from the Ministry of Food was approved to import 50,000 tons of white rice under the DPM method from the Southern Food Corporation (VINAFOOD) in Vietnam.
“We are procuring rice from various sources in order to minimise the risk factors,” he added.