The Bangladeshi Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management yesterday suggested the ministry for taking measures to import rice to ensure emergency food stock.

The meeting was told that there are 0.8 million MT of foodgrains in emergency stock now in different silos and godowns in the county. Though the meeting observed that prices of rice in the city and its adjacent areas marked a slight rise rise it was stable in the rural areas, therefore no decision was taken to introduce Open Market Sales ( OMS ) .

Out of the target quantity of 1 million MT of food grains, the ministry has so far procured 0.62 million MT and hoped it would be able to procure the remaining quantity in the next two months.

Fearing that the ministry would not be able to fulfil the procurement target the committee strongly suggested it to take measures to import necessary food grains. The committee was apprised that the ministry has already floated tender to procure one-lakh MT of wheat and 50 thousand MT of rice from abroad.