KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 2
The government-owned Food Trade and Management Company Ltd (FTMCL) has started selling Marsi rice of Jumla under a brand named 'Nepal Food'. The company has started selling the indigenous red rice since Thursday. For the first time, a government company has branded Marsi rice and made it public in the market.
According to Urmila Neupane, information officer of FTMCL, the company sold 93 kg of Marsi rice on the first day itself.
The sale of the red rice was 144 kg on the second day, 31 kg on the third day and 77 kg on the fourth day. So far, the company has sold a total of 345 kg of the indigenous red rice.
As per Information Officer Neupane, there is a good demand for Marsi rice in the market. Looking at the sales volume so far, the demand and consumption of rice has been encouraging. "As some people were not even aware about the Marsi variety of rice, they have bought it just to give it a try," she said. She, however, expressed her belief that the sales volume will remain high in the future.
Earlier, Marsi rice was being sold in small quantities in the market. The company says that it will be easier for consumers to find it at the company's stores. FT- MCL has fixed its price at Rs 225 per kg for now.
Neupane claims the company is yet to meet the consumers' demand yet. According to FTMCL, it bought the red rice at Rs 200 per kg and plans to purchase around 500 tonnes of paddy from Jumla in the current fiscal year after the current stock of rice is finished.
The price of paddy has not been fixed by the company yet.
A Paddy Procurement Primary Committee has recommended the rate for normal paddy at Rs 102.50 per kg and Rs 162.50 per kg for the red rice from Jumla.
For determining the price of paddy, the company forms a committee every year under the coordination of the chief district officer of the concerned district with the representatives of the Agriculture Science Centre and the local farmers' coordination committee.
The company is currently also selling Ranjit steam rice, Sona rice, Japanese rice, Karnali-produced beans, corn, lentils and pulses through its sales counters and online platform.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 3, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
