This time, the Ministry of Food has taken the initiative to import 50 thousand metric tons of wheat from Dubai. One crore 47 lakh 47 thousand 500 dollars will be spent on importing this wheat at the rate of 294.95 dollars per metric ton (without duty and VAT). About 162 crores 96 lakhs in Bangladeshi currency. It is said that a proposal in this regard may be presented for approval in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement to be held on Wednesday. According to sources, at the end of tender scrutiny, Dubai-based company M/s Grain-Flower DMCC of United Arab Emirates has been nominated to supply wheat.
It is known that the amount of wheat stock at the government level is one lakh 53 thousand metric tons. Apart from this, the demand for wheat in the current fiscal year 2023-24 is 9 lakh 22 thousand metric tons at the government level. Of this, no wheat has been procured so far from internal sources. In this context, the budget has been allocated for the import of six lakh metric tons of wheat from international sources. On the contrary, the contract of import of 3 lakh metric tons from Russia under G-to-G and 150 thousand metric tons of wheat through international open tender was executed and 46 thousand metric tons of wheat was imported. In this continuation, an initiative has been taken to import 50 thousand metric tons of wheat from Dubai under Package-4. Apart from this, it is reported that 12 lakh 39 thousand metric tons of wheat has already been imported in the private sector. According to sources, five companies participated in the wheat import tender. Other companies are – M/s Agrocorp International of Singapore (proposed rate $298.38 per metric ton); UAE-based Abu Dhabi-based M/s Reliance International Limited (proposed rate $299.79 per metric ton); Dubai-based M/s MC Food DMCC (proposed rate $309.95 per metric ton) and Dubai-based M/s Cereal Crops Trading LLC (proposed rate $318 per metric ton).
All five institutions participating in the tender are considered responsive. But M/s Grain-Flower DMCC was nominated as the lowest bidder.
In the wheat import proposal, the current market price of wheat from 8 source countries (Russia, Romania, Black Sea, France, Argentina, Australia, Canada and America) has been reviewed. At present, the average price of wheat per metric ton in the international market is 337.53 dollars. Except for Russia ($290.02 per metric ton) and Romania ($282.08), almost all wheat exporters have market prices higher than the lowest prices received.
In the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the global food crisis, the much-discussed grain agreement with the Black Sea not being renewed after July 17, and the current market prices of wheat in countries other than Russia and Romania, the price offered by the lowest bidder participating in the tender is in line with international market rates. The Ministry of Food thinks that.
