ZCZC
BSS-19
RICE-PRICE
Coarse rice price marks downtrend
DHAKA,Jan 15,2019 (BSS) – Retail price of all medium and fine varieties of rice today found slight increase at city’s different kitchen markets compared to the price of last week or even a month ago, but price of the coarse variety rice showed downtrend during this time.
Fine and medium quality rice price including Nazir/miniket and Pijam/Lata today sold at Taka 56.00-65.00 and Taka 46.00-54.00, per kg, at city’s retail market while it ranged from Taka 54.00-62.00 and Taka 44.00-54.00 last week and even a month ago, according to the essentials price index by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) under the Ministry of Commerce.
But the retail price of coarse variety rice including ‘shawarna’ and ‘china irri’ is selling at Taka 38.00-42.00 per kg this week while it was Taka 38.00-44.00 per kg in December last year, shows TCB price index.
“Price of coarse variety rice remains unchanged as the wholesale price of per kg coarse variety rice is Taka 31.50, and we have a huge stock of the variety of rice,” said KM Layek Ali, general secretary of Bangladesh Auto Major & Husking Mill Owners Association.
Meanwhile, the TCB price index showed that the unit price of fine and medium quality rice soared by Taka 1.75 to Taka 4.31 in last one month, but the unit price of coarse variety rice declined by Taka 2.44 per kg during this time.
“The per kg price of fine and medium quality rice increased by Taka 4.00-5.00 in last one month, said Mohammad Milon, a retailer of Mirpur, Rupnagar. The price of per kg miniket was Taka 54.00-55.00 last month, before the 11th parliament elections, but now it is Taka 58.00-62.00.”
About the retail price of fine medium fine quality rice including miniket and BR-28, Nirod Boron Saha Chandan, a wholesaler and general merchant commission agent, admitted that the price of coarse variety rice is quite stable but the fine and medium fine variety rice price has slightly increased at the wholesale level as the fine quality rice is usually produced in one season during the irri-boro period.
Even the shutdown of the transport system for two days before the 11th national polls across the country has created a topsy-turvy situation in rice price by creating deficit between demand and supply, he added.
The miller however said the less government intervention has made the fine and medium rice price exorbitant at the city markets as now the wholesale price of per kg miniket is Taka 47.00-47.50, but it sells at city market at Taka 62.00-65.00 per kg which is not at all fair.
In Dhaka city, the retail price of per kg fine rice or miniket should not be more than Taka 54.00-55.00, considering transport fair and other costs, said the wholesalers, adding that a section of retailers are doing brisk business by adopting this unfair means.
BSS/SPL/OG/BR/1743