United News of Bangladesh

Government official and traders have expressed mixed reactions over the price hikes of rice in Khulna as both sides provide contradictory information. However, low-income people are bearing the brunt of price hike as they struggle to meet their basic needs. Despite bumper yields in the last Boro season and imports from outside the country, rice prices in Khulna have spiraled out of control, leaving consumers worried. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Khulna produced 300,000 metric tonnes of Boro paddy this year, marking a bumper production. The food department has also been selling rice under the Open Market Sale (OMS) programme five days a week across Khulna city’s 31 wards, two municipalities and nine upazilas. Each ward receives one metric tonne of rice daily which will continue until new harvests arrive. It is learned that the government warehouses in the district hold 84,000 metric tonnes of rice. Imports are also ongoing whereas 50,000 metric tonnes of rice were unloaded from Pakistan in July at Chittagong Port while the country received 12,000 metric tonnes from India through Benapole and Bhomra land ports between June and August. Rice market remains volatile  despite large-scale imports from India The government even reduced import duty from 25% to 15% to stabilize the local market. Despite huge stock, consumers are facing abnormal prices, with rice selling between Tk 53 and Tk 80 per kg, hitting daily life. Md Zakir Hossain, assistant food controller of Khulna district, said coarse rice is selling at Tk 53–55, medium at Tk 57–61, Atap at Tk 48–50 and fine rice at Tk 73–74 per kg. He, however, claimed the rice market is falling as rice is being sold through the OMS. There have been allegations that traders provide wrong information to journalists when they visit the market, finding a disparity between the government data and traders. The owners of Annpunyo Traders and Halim Bhandar in Boro Bazar of Khulna city told this reporter during a visit to the market, that coarse rice is selling for Tk 47–50, imported varieties for Tk 50–56, Atap for Tk 42–45, fine rice for Tk 50–54, and local premium rice for Tk 54–58 per kg. Some traders reported Paijam rice being sold as high as Tk 80 per kg. Small traders and consumers blame corporate houses and large auto rice mill owners for stockpiling paddy after the harvest to manipulate supply and raise prices. Government aims to stabilize rice market, ensure trader support: Commerce Adviser “Farmers sell their crops immediately after harvest but corporate groups hoard paddy and later release rice at higher prices, hurting both consumers and small traders,” said Mojaher Ali, a farmer from Kharnia village in Dumuria.

The prices of all varieties of rice have gone up in the wholesale and retail markets of Bagerhat, creating a suffocating condition for the low-income group people who are already plagued by price hikes of daily essentials. Wholesale and retail rice markets in the district are witnessing an increase in rice prices by Tk 10 per kilogram and Tk 150 per 25kg sack. Both the buyers and rice traders are finding it hard to procure rice as per their demands. Traders alleged that rice prices have soared due to syndication by rice mill owners. While visiting Chaupatti and Nagerbazar wholesale rice markets, the UNB correspondent found that both the buyers and sellers were engaging in altercations over rice price hike. The rice traders were blaming rise in fuel prices for increases in rice prices.  On the contrary, consumers were returning home with rice less than the amount bought by them previously. In wholesale markets, the staple is being sold at rates between Tk 50 to Tk 85 per kg. Even price of coarse rice has also seen an increase by Tk 5 per kg. Rice traders are asking for prices according to their wish, while rice are being sold in the village markets at higher prices due to multiple handovers. Read: OMS: Rice to be available at Tk 15 per kg from Sep 1 Pradeep Kumar Saha, a wholesaler of Nagerbazar area, said that they are receiving less rice than they’ve ordered. “If we order 100 sacks of rice, we only get 20 of them which is creating a crisis. So rice prices have gone up by Tk 6 to Tk 10 per kg. Fuel price hike and syndication by the rice millers are behind this situation,” Pradeep said. Prabir Saha, a retailer from Falpatti area, also blamed syndication by the rice millers behind rice price hike. “Prices of rice have increased by Tk 150 to Tk 200 per sack (25 kg) within just one week. We’re regularly facing customers’ wrath for selling rice at a high prices. The situation is such that we may have to stop doing business altogether,” Prabir said. Gopal Saha, a wholesaler of Nagerbazar, said that people from the lower income bracket is feeling the real punch as the rice variant that they buy is out of stock most of the time. Taposh Saha, a rice trader from Chaulpatti, said that they can’t even buy rice in the evening at the rate at which they had bought rice in the morning. “We’ve nothing to do except selling rice at the rate of purchase,” said Taposh. Md Belal Sheikh, a consumer, said that he had bought a 25 kg sack of rice at Tk 1,300 15 days ago, which he now has to buy at Tk 1,450. Nasima Begum, another buyer, said that she came to buy a 25kg sack of rice but instead bought only 10kg due to exorbitant prices. “Rice prices are varying from shop to shop. Traders are asking for prices as they wish. I’m confused about what to do but as prices of almost every essential item is on the rise,” said Nasima. Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bagerhat Mohammad Azizur Rahman said that he is aware of the rice price hike in local markets. “We’re monitoring the market regularly. We’ll conduct drives by mobile court so that no one can sell rice at exorbitant prices,” said the DC.

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Sunday said raising price of rice during Ramadan will not be allowed and asked the traders to lower it in phases from tomorrow. “Want to see rice price lowering from tomorrow and seek the assistance of everyone involved to keep it low,” the minister said while attending a seminar on steps to prevent illegal stockpiling and market monitoring in Kushtia. “At the moment there is enough rice stock in the country. Yet seeing price rising in phases is not expected and we are monitoring the field level situation to inspect the reason. Right information from field level will be useful for planning.” Also read: Dishonest traders raising prices of essentials: Food Minister The food minister vowed strict action for raising prices by illegally hoarding stock. The minister asked the food officers to verify mill stocks, report daily amounts of crushing and supply to identify the reason behind rising prices. Also read: Edible oil price cut by Tk 8 per litre “Also the kind of paddy and manufacturing date must be mentioned in rice sacks. A guideline will be issued in this regard soon,” he added.