Khajura, Nov. 15: The main branch office of the Food Management and Trading Company Limited (FMTCL) in Nepalgunj is now purchasing rice from the farmers of Banke district. The office has bought over 4,000 quintals of rice in the last 10 days since November 5. 

The Nepalgunj office began purchasing rice 15 days earlier than last year and aims to buy 40,000 quintals this season. “We have set a target of purchasing 40,000 quintals of paddy this year. By Wednesday, we purchased 4,184.35 quintals,” said the Information Officer of the Office, Shivaraj Ghimire. “We are buying rice continuously from farmers using four weighing scales set up near the company’s warehouse.”

According to Ghimire, the Office buys up to 80 quintals of rice from each farmer based on a recommendation from the local governments. Before selling their rice, farmers must register their recommendation from the local authority and then deliver the produce on the scheduled date provided by the office. 

“Previously, farmers had to wait for up to 15 days. Now, they register their local authority’s recommendation in advance and bring their paddy on the allocated date,” said Ghimire.

More than 40 workers have been deployed at the four weighing stations to handle the rice efficiently. Last year, the Nepalgunj Office had a target of buying 51,000 quintals but managed to purchase only 8,000 quintals. Chief of the branch office, Ram Sharan Lamichhane said, “Farmers received higher prices in the market from traders and mills compared to the minimum support price set by the government, so they sold elsewhere, and we could not buy as per the target.”

This year, the government has increased the minimum support price, and rice purchasing started 15 days earlier, raising hopes of meeting the target. The Nepalgunj office plans to buy 30,000 quintals of coarse paddy and 10,000 quintals of medium paddy. By Wednesday, it had purchased 516.52 quintals of coarse paddy and 3,667.83 quintals of medium paddy, totalling 4,184.35 quintals.