WFP has to buy rice for single mums from the outside market

Sittwe, December 30:World Food Program (WFP) has been distributing free rice to single mothers and female students in Maung Daw Township. However, WFP would have to buy rice on market price in the 2003-2004 financial year since the military junta has not give the permit to buy from its stock, according to our correspondent.

The official price is said to be as much as than ten times higher than the market one.

For 2003-2004, WFP asked for 2400 tons of rice for Maung Daw Township from the Burmese Agricultural Produce Office, however there has not been any response from the office. WFP will thus buy 1800 tons from the outside market.

On the 11th of this month, the WFP officials met with the Burmese Border Security (Nasaka) officials Maung Daw is under its jurisdiction to arrange the purchase from the outside market.

WFP has been distributing rice for free to single mothers and female students since 1994. However, WFP cannot provide for single father and male students.

Maung Daw is the most expensive township to buy rice, and due to its dense population rice price can be very high sometime.