Minister: The country has no shortage of food

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder has trashed reports of food shortage in the country saying that there is enough stock and “it’s increasing.”

The minister said this on Thursday during an agreement signing ceremony of the construction of a steel silo in Barisal and purchase of an online food stock monitoring system, at the ministry in Dhaka.

Sadhan said that bringing regional food offices, district offices, upazila offices and food storehouses under the online monitoring system will ensure more transparency and accountability in the activities of the food division.

Steel-made silos are being constructed to increase food storage facilities in the country by 2025, said the food minister.

Modern cooling systems will be used in these silos instead of pesticides which will keep the quality of the food and its nutrition intact for two years, he added.

Silos in Mymensingh, Madhupur, and Ashuganj will be ready for handover by December this year while construction work of five more will start soon, the minister informed media.

The government has already cleared funding for the construction of total 30 paddy silos across the country to ensure fair prices for the farmers and aims to construct 170 more.

“Paddies, even with 24% of moisture can be taken from marginal farmers in these silos where advance technology will help to process them into quality rice,” the food minister said.

Sadhan urged the company in charge of the construction of these silos to deliver quality work within the project deadline mentioning that no negligence will be tolerated in this regard.