By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 24: The state-owned Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC) has started buying paddy from farmers. The Company has started purchasing paddy from three offices and is in the process to purchase from eight other offices of different districts, said Srimani Raj Khanal, deputy general manager of FMTC.
He informed that they have set a target to purchase paddy from 11 offices of the Company but only three offices have started purchasing so far.
The Company has procured paddy from Nepalganj, Rajapur and Mahendranagar.

According to the Company, it has purchased around 527 tonnes of paddy from these three places as of Thursday. The Company has set a target to purchase around 19,100 tonnes of paddy from 11 different places in the first phase.
The Company had made a plan to purchase around 30,000 tonnes of paddy this year and it has provisioned a budget of Rs. 950 million for this. The Company has revised the target and plans to purchase around 19,100 tonnes.

The FMTC has a target to purchase 1,500 tonnes from Birtamod office, 1,000 tonnes from Biratnagar, 1,800 tonnes from Lahan, 1,800 tonnes from Janakpur, 1,800 tonnes from Birgunj, 1,000 tonnes from Bhairahawa, 2,500 tonnes from Nepalgunj, 3,500 tonnes from Rajapur, 3,500 tonnes from Dhangadhi, 600 tonnes from Mahendranagar and 100 tonnes from its Jumla-based office.
The FMTC’s Birtamod office, Biratnagar, Lahan, Janakpur, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Dhangadhi and Jumla offices are yet to start purchasing paddy as per the Company target.

According to Khanal, the Company has been purchasing paddy based on the minimum support price fixed by the government and the present market price.
The government had fixed the support price of paddy before the paddy plantation period began this year.
The government had fixed the minimum support price at Rs. 2,752 per quintal for coarse paddy and Rs. 2,903 per quintal for medium quality paddy this year.

The FMTC delayed to buy paddy due to various reasons, he said, adding that it will not buy paddy soaked in the unseasonal rains.
"Consumers are looking for good quality rice from the Company, so we can't buy soaked paddy," said Khanal.
The present scenario of purchasing paddy from different offices showed that the Company will not be able to purchase paddy as per its target this year, he said.