CHITTAGONG: Bangladesh Shipping Corporation’s (BSC) cargo ship ‘Banglar Kakoli’ waiting for high tide in river Karnaphuli to sail on Saturday morning. As soon as the tide will come the ship will leave Chittagong for Sri Lanka with 12,000 tons of rice. The destination is Colombo port of Sri Lanka.
Country’s biggest ever consignment of rice is being exported to Sri Lanka.
After attaining self-sufficiency in food and ensuring sufficient reserve, the government decided to export 12,000 tons of rice.
The port authority told that the ship will leave the port Saturday morning.
The controller of movement and preservation of food directorate of Chittagong region Jahirul Islam told Banglanews that the loading of 12,000 tons of rice will be completed within Friday. On Saturday morning the ship will start.
Jahirul Islam told that the start will depend on the tide. He further said loading of rice started on December 17. The ship is waiting at CPA’s berth no. 3.
In the next consignment another ship of BSC will go to Colombo with 12,000 tons of rice, Jahirul Islam added.
Earlier, Bangladesh exported a limited quantity of fragrant rice but this time the volume of export is huge.
Food Ministry sources said the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka recently met the foreign ministry officials and gave proposals for purchasing rice at G2G level.
In this context, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, in the ‘Fourth Agro Expo Exhibition’ held on September 17, announced to export 50,000 to 100,000 tons rice to the country.
After getting no objections of Commerce and Agriculture ministries, the cabinet committee gave approval to export rice. Sri Lanka at the moment will import 25,000 tons of rice as there might be problem in unloading the rice in the monsoon.
Ministry sources further said that the amount of reserved rice in government godowns was 11 lakh tons till August of 2014 which is 250,000 lakh tons more than that of previous year.
Considering the reserve position, the Food Ministry opined that 50,000 to 100,000 tons of rice can be exported.
Later on December 3, Director General of Food Directorate Md. Sarwar Khan and Nalin Farnando, chairman of Lanka Sathosha Limited, signed an agreement on behalf of governments of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in this regard. Each ton of rice was priced at $450.
After signing of the agreement food minister advocate Quamrul Islam said that the current food reserve in the country is 12 lakh tons which is more than 250,000 tons than that of last year.
“Bangladesh is ready to export about 100,000 tons of rice at the demand of any country,” he added.
According to food ministry sources, reserve of food in the country till December 22 was 12.82 lakh tons. Of the total reserve, 11.51 tons are rice and the rest 1.33 lakh tons are wheat. Moreover, 0.33 lakh tons of food grain is awaiting unloading at Chittagong port.
BDST: 2009 HRS, DEC 26, 2014
