Govt to 'curb food prices' with output raise

The government will move to curb food prices by increasing production and importing if necessary, Food Minister Md Abdur Razzak said Wednesday, reports bdnews24.com.

"Our main task will be to bring the prices of essentials at a tolerable level. It is not possible to increase production right now.

"But we do not need to worry about the stock we have. We can import food on an emergency basis if necessary," the new food minister told reporters at the Secretariat on the first day of his office.

"In our election manifesto we pledged to curb the prices of essentials. Our Prime Minister also said the food prices should be minimised at any rate. We will work to that end."

"The past government had its success as well as failure. The prices of essentials were abnormal, they are still high," Razzak said.

"We will take steps so that the farmers can get fertiliser in the upcoming Boro season. The price of TSP fertiliser is abnormally high in the global market. We will try to bring the prices at a tolerable level considering all the issues."

Razzak said they had heard from many places that the new government would bring the price of rice down to Tk 10.

"But our leader did not give any pledge like that. It is not possible to feed people rice at Tk 10. What our leader said was that our main aim would be to bring the price of rice to a tolerable level.

"Our main target should be to ensure food for all. Whether the price of rice is Tk 10 or Tk 15 is not a matter."

"We have about 12,55,000 tonnes of food in stock. We will try to increase the capacity of the store houses," the food minister said.

He said the rice price should be fixed on the basis of production costs. The fertiliser price was abnormally high. The cost of irrigation would come down if the power production increased, which, in turn, would cut production costs.