1,030 tons of rice imported from India

The Ministry of Food has granted several importers permission to bring in parboiled and uncooked rice duty-free, with a deadline of December 10 for completing the imports, according to Shyamal Kumar Nath, deputy assistant officer at the Benapole Checkpost Plant Quarantine Centre. Additional shipments are also awaiting clearance, he added. Between November 18 and November 27, 33 trucks carried the rice consignments, and officials hope these imports will help reduce domestic rice prices. On Wednesday night, 105 metric tons arrived, and were cleared by the following morning.

Arqo Trading, an importer based in Jashore, was authorized to bring in 5,000 metric tons of rice. However, the owner, Mofizur Rahman, expressed concerns about meeting the quota due to higher prices. "We imported at Tk 53 per kg, while local markets are selling coarse rice at Tk 48 to Tk 49, as new Aman rice is coming in," he explained.

Rashed Chowdhury, owner of Chowdhury Rice Mill in Navaran, mentioned that hybrid rice is being sold wholesale at Tk 48 to Tk 49. He noted that heavy rains have reduced production, which could still affect market trends despite the ongoing imports.

Deputy Director of Benapole port, Sajib Najib, stated that officials are speeding up customs and port clearance processes to ensure timely release of the shipments.