The Bangladeshi government would procure 50,000 tonnes of wheat from local farmers at BDT19.50 (US$0.28) per kilogrammes, said M Abdur Razzaque, the Food and Disaster Management Minister on Monday (Mar 29).

The average production cost of wheat is estimated at around BDT18.29 (US$0.27)/kg.

The country relies heavily on wheat imports as the domestic production of around one million tonnes is not able to meet the three-million-tonne domestic demand.

The country would also fix the procurement price of boro rice, with production cost estimated at BDT21.65 (US$ 0.31)/kg, in the third week of April.

Production cost of rice and wheat is coming down as a result of government's subsidy in fertiliser and diesel, according Razzaque.