http://www.flex-news-food.com/pages/14851/Bangladesh/India/rice/bangladesh-urges-india-reduce-export-cost-rice.html
Reuters
11/03/2008
Bangladesh Urges India to Reduce Export Cost of Rice
Dhaka, March 11 - The army-backed interim government of Bangladesh has
asked India for cut-price rice under a state-to-state deal as it seeks
to reduce import costs for its main food staple.
On March 5 the Indian government raised the export price of rice to
$650 per tonne to keep stocks at home, but Bangladesh is asking for
imports at $400 a tonne.
"Formally we will request the Indian government to lower the export
price as a gesture of good will to its next door neighbour," said AMM
Shawkat Ali, adviser for food and disaster management.
"Really we are feeling the brunt of soaring prices of rice," Shawkat
told reporters on Tuesday.
The price of coarse rice is between 30 and 34 taka a kg, up by 52
percent from a year ago.
He said that the government was trying to increase production of boro,
a major rice variety, by 21 percent to 17.5 million tonnes this year,
but is still facing a shortfall of up to 2.5 million tonnes.
"We have taken various measures to augment the availability of rice,
the main staple of the country, by increasing imports from our
neighbouring countries including India, Vietnam, Thailand and
Myanmar," the adviser said.
He said Bangladesh had imported 2.9 million tonnes of rice including
2.3 million tonnes by the private sector, but was still aiming to
build up stockpiles in case of unforeseen events.
"The import price by state-to-state deal is far less than the private
one for which the market price is beyond a tolerable level," he added.
Government rice stocks stand at half of a million tonnes, which will
be doubled. Negotiations are ongoing with India to import another
500,000 tonnes of rice through state-run corporations with a price of
$399 per tonne.
Shawkat said that total rice imports by the end of the current fiscal
year to next June would be at 4 million tonnes, more than sufficient
to cover shortages caused by cyclone and floods.
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Bangladesh newspapers have reported that India is the only country
willing to sell rice to Bangladesh at a reasonable price:
http://www.weeklyholiday.net/2008/110408/front.html#03
Weekly Holiday, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Friday, April 11, 2008
MYANMAR IS SECOND GATEWAY
Replying to a question posed by this correspondent Ifthekhar Chowdhury
said that no other country than India was found to sell rice at a
reasonably low price. He said that with the arrival of five hundred
thousand tons of rice from India the total stock of rice will be
981,000 and if the Boro Cultivation goes well it will add at least
200,000 tons and as such the total stockpile will not be less then 1.1
million tons and that will help solve the crisis.
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