5.5 Million Families to Receive 6 Months of Annual Food Aid Through Food Friendly Program: Ali Imam

5.5 Million Families to Receive 6 Months of Annual Food Aid Through Food Friendly Program: Ali Imam

May 18, 2025 - 11:15
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5.5 Million Families to Receive 6 Months of Annual Food Aid Through Food Friendly Program: Ali Imam
5.5 Million Families to Receive 6 Months of Annual Food Aid Through Food Friendly Program: Ali Imam

Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder announced significant enhancements to the government’s Food Friendly Programme aimed at supporting low-income families across the country.

Under the updated plan, 5.5 million families will receive subsidized food assistance annually, an increase from the current 5 million beneficiaries. This expansion adds 500,000 families to the programme. Moreover, the duration of aid will be extended from five months to six months each year, starting with the fiscal year 2025-26.

The Food Friendly Programme is managed by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), a state-run entity responsible for procuring food items from local markets. TCB then distributes these food items—primarily rice and wheat—at subsidized rates to eligible families. The government heavily subsidizes these staples, particularly rice, to keep prices affordable for the poor.

Regarding supply, current stock levels of rice and wheat are adequate. The government plans to continue importing wheat to maintain sufficient reserves, while domestic Boro rice production has improved significantly, reducing the need for rice imports this year. This helps stabilize prices and ensures food security for vulnerable populations.

The programme’s expansion and supply measures also aim to mitigate the impact of potential natural disasters, which often disrupt food availability and market stability.

To improve efficiency, efforts are underway to strengthen the Food Safety Authoritys regulatory role, ensuring the quality and safety of distributed food items. Additionally, infrastructure upgrades are planned, including the construction of new godowns (warehouses) and better utilization of railway transport for food logistics, which will help reduce losses and ensure timely distribution.

The government also recently updated its Open Market Sales (OMS) policy in 2024 to improve transparency and accessibility. The OMS system allows subsidized food to be sold openly to the public, helping stabilize market prices while supporting low-income consumers.

In summary, the Food Friendly Programme’s enhancements reflect the government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring food security for millions of vulnerable families by increasing coverage, extending aid duration, maintaining adequate food stocks, and improving supply chain management.

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