Fragrant rice can be exported until April 30

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The government has extended the deadline for exporting fragrant rice until April 30. This opportunity applies to 61 companies. Before the election, the Ministry of Commerce sent a letter to the Office of the Chief Controller of Import and Export on February 8, informing about the extension of the deadline. The Ministry of Commerce has also separately given a copy of this letter to 61 companies.

The deadline for exporting fragrant rice ended on December 31. Now, the deadline has been extended in view of the companies' applications.

Permission was granted in April last year for 100, 150, 200, 300, 400, and 500 tons, depending on each company's capacity. Sources in the Ministry of Commerce say that some have exported the whole amount, while others have done it partially. However, there are allegations that many of those with good capacity have not received more permission. On the other hand, companies without capacity have received permission to export more rice.

As a condition for exporting fragrant rice, the letter states that the export price per kilogram of rice must be at least 1.60 US dollars. If we calculate it at 122 taka per dollar, the price of one kilogram of rice in Bangladeshi currency will be 195 taka.

Other conditions include that no one can export more than the permitted amount of rice. And after each shipment, all export documents must be submitted to the Ministry of Commerce. This approval is not transferable in any way. That is, the approved exporting company cannot export through others without exporting itself; that is, subcontracting cannot be given.

According to the Export Policy Order, rice exports from Bangladesh are always prohibited, but fragrant rice can be exported with government permission.

How much export income was there in which year?

According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), in the fiscal year 2019-20, 2.88 million dollars were earned by exporting fragrant rice. The next year, in the fiscal year 2020-21, it decreased to 2.06 million dollars. In the fiscal year 2021-22, this income decreased further to 1.07 million dollars. Then, in the fiscal year 2022-23, the government suspended the permission to export fragrant rice.

According to sources in the Ministry of Commerce, Bangladesh started exporting fragrant rice from the fiscal year 2009-10. In the first year, 663 tons of fragrant rice were exported. Exports continued to increase in the following years, which increased to 10,879 tons in the 2019-20 fiscal year. The country produces 1.8 to 2 million tons of fragrant rice annually and exports an average of 10,000 tons every year.

It is known that various corporate organizations have been exporting this rice to more than 130 countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, various European countries, the United States, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and South Korea.

The Ministry of Commerce has a list of exportable fragrant rice. These are black cumin, black cumin TPL-62, sugar powder, sugar atap, sugar kanai, badshabhog, kataribhog, madanbhog, randhunipagal, banshphul, jatabanchphul, binnaphul, tulsi mala, tulsi atap, tulsi mani, madhumala, khorma, sakkur khorma, nunia, pashushail, dulabhog, etc.

Three departments are involved in the export of fragrant rice: the Ministry of Food, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Commerce. It is learnt that to export fragrant rice, the consent of the Food Planning and Control Committee has to be obtained, and this time too, it has to be obtained. Exporters say that even if the Ministry of Commerce gives permission, if the Department of Agricultural Extension does not issue a phytosanitary certificate, then no one can export fragrant rice.