Economic Reporter :
The customers in Dhaka have had no respite from price hike as fine quality rice and soybean oil have become costlier.
The rice price hikes due to acute crisis of Atash and Miniket rice at wholesale level as the supply of fine and medium rice is almost closed.
The arbitrariness of the mill owners is going on in the city’s rice market ignoring the government instructions. The rice price is being increased ignoring the price fixed by the government, it is alleged.
Wholesalers blamed the mill owners for the rice market volatile and urged the government to import rice to control the market.
The government fixed the price of medium and fine rice at the end of September this year to ensure a fair price for farmers. The fine Miniket rice was instructed to be sold at Tk 51.50 per kg and medium quality rice at Tk 45 per kg
Prices of Miniket rice at wholesale and retail markets in Mirpur, Pirerbagh and Karwan Bazar rose by Tk 1 or 2 per kg in a week.
Ferdous Monwar, a retailer at Pirerbagh, was selling Miniket rice at Tk 2,750 per sack of 50 kg on Friday. It cost Tk 2,650 a week ago.
He could not say why the prices have gone up. “I’ve heard that the price of paddy is high now,” he said.
Wholesaler Rony Rice Agency at Karwan Bazar was selling Miniket rice at Tk 2,650 per sack. Trader Monirul Islam said prices of all varieties of rice rose by up to Tk 70 per sack in a week.
Packaged soybean oil prices have increased by at least Tk 5 a litre in 10 days. Trader Mozaffar Hossain at Karwan Bazar said prices of a bottle of 5 litre soybean oil have gone up to Tk 520 from Tk 480 or Tk 490.
The price of soybean oil sold from open jars has increased by Tk 2 a litre to Tk 98.
Samir Dey, who came from Badda to shop at Karwan Bazar, said he saved some money from vegetables, but used it up to pay for costlier soybean oil.
Prices of garlic, ginger and imported onion have dropped at Karwan Bazar wholesale market, but the decline has not impacted the prices in retail markets in other parts of the city.
The traders at Karwan Bazar were selling white radish at Tk 30 per kg, pointed gourd Tk 40, bean Tk 50, cauliflower and cabbage Tk 30 apiece, and cucumber Tk 60 a kg.
