Apr 24, Kathmandu- The Janakpurdham Provincial Office of the Food Management and Trading Company Limited has started purchasing wheat from farmers from today.

Head of Office Nirmal Thapa informed that the government has started purchasing wheat based on the support price set at the rate of 3867 rupees and 38 paise per quintal.

The target is to purchase 2,500 quintals of wheat from farmers in Dhanusha and Mahottari this year. The office has stated that 50 quintals of wheat will be purchased from each farmer and 500 quintals from each cooperative.

According to the office, a free fork has also been operated for wheat purchase within the office premises in Mujelia, Janakpur. The notice states that the wheat should be cleaned and sold according to the standards set by the relevant local levels in Dhanusha and Mahottari, and that payment to the farmers will be made through cheques.

The office has purchased less rice than the target in the current fiscal year. Out of the target of purchasing 32,000 quintals of rice, only 5,346 quintals of rice have been purchased.

Farmers sold their produce in private markets as the market price was higher than the support price, so rice was not purchased as per the target. Although the government had instructed to purchase rice at the rate of Rs 3,580 per quintal, farmers sold rice at the rate of about Rs 4,000 per quintal in the market.