Bangladesh has launched a drive to distribute some 880,000 tonnes of rice and wheat among its poor through cut-price outlets across the country, food minister Abdur Razzaque said on Sunday. "Some 440,000 tonnes of rice and a similar weight of wheat will be distributed by end April to support some 11 million poor families in the wake of rising food prices," Razzaque told reporters.
Food prices generally rise between January to April as no new crop is harvested locally during this period. The retail market price of coarse rice has already risen to around 36 taka ($0.51) per kilogramme and wheat to 34 taka, Razzaque said.
However the cut-price of a kg of grain will be raised to 25 taka ($0.35) per kg from Feb. 1 against a present price of 24 taka per kg to reduce the margin of subsidy, he said.
The cut-price outlets were opened at different areas including the capital Dhaka late last week. Each family will be entitled to buy 10 kg of rice and 10 kg wheat at 25 taka per kg per month.
Bangladesh produces more than 35 million tonnes a year of grains, mostly rice, sufficient to feed its more than 150 million people.
But crop losses due to floods and cyclones often compel the authorities to import food and often global price hikes also lead traders to hoard.