Rice mill owners ‘unaware’ of paddy varieties, request samples from govt
The Ministry of Food mandated labelling paddy varieties and prices on rice bags to stabilize the market. However, Kushtia mill owners, unfamiliar with varieties, requested samples from the Directorate of Agriculture Marketing. Officials suspect manipulation, noting Miniket is not a recognized variety. Kushtia’s Senior Agriculture Marketing Officer accused mill owners of profiteering, while Deputy Commissioner Ehetasham Reza reiterated only government-approved varieties are permitted. Compliance remains low.
To stabilize the rice market and ensure reasonable pricing, the Ministry of Food has mandated labelling paddy varieties and prices on rice bags.
However, many rice mill owners in Khazanagar, Kushtia, seem unfamiliar with these varieties, prompting the Kushtia Auto Rice Mill Owners Association to request samples from the Directorate of Agriculture Marketing (DAM).
On Sunday (June 30), a letter was sent to the Senior Agriculture Marketing Officer of the DAM in Kushtia. Government officials have labelled this move by rice mill owners as “another ploy” to manipulate the market.
The letter from the rice mill owners stated difficulties in identifying paddy varieties when labelling rice bags, and they demanded a list and samples of government-approved paddy varieties.
The government has repeatedly stated that “Miniket” is not a recognized paddy variety. However, mill owners claim they purchase paddy labelled as Miniket from farmers and seek guidance on how to label such rice bags.
Kushtia’s Senior Agriculture Marketing Officer, Sujat Hossain Khan, emphasized that Miniket is not an actual paddy variety. He accused mill owners of profiting by marketing other paddies as Miniket and using the letter as a cover for their practices.
The Agriculture Marketing Officer mentioned that the letter has been forwarded to higher authorities for further action.
Meanwhile, Kushtia Deputy Commissioner Ehetasham Reza asserted that only government-approved paddy varieties can be marketed and that Miniket is a creation of the mill owners.
Khazanagar houses over 50 auto rice mills and around 250 rice mills in total, supplying more than half of the country’s rice. Despite Miniket not being an actual variety, it began to be marketed from Khazanagar in the late 1990s.
Farmers have repeatedly stated they do not grow any paddy called Miniket, and the Agriculture Department always specifies paddy varieties when distributing seeds and incentives. Reports from the Department of Agricultural Extension also include specific paddy varieties.
Rice mill owners process various paddy types and market them as Miniket, creating a brand and manipulating rice prices. To combat this chaos, the Ministry has ordered that rice bags must include paddy variety names and prices. However, most mill owners have not complied, continuing to market rice as Miniket.
Seeking anonymity, an official from Kushtia’s Agriculture Marketing Directorate told the Daily Sun that mill owners are using this new letter to delay compliance and continue their profitable Miniket business, causing further inconvenience to the government.
Source Link: https://www.daily-sun.com/post/755561
Recommended for you
