Anisul Islam Noor :
Rice price has been rising in the country following Bangladesh government decision to impose 28 percent tax on rice import in three weeks ago.
In the global markets, price of rice dropped below $400 per tonne for first time in last two years.
Food and Agriculture Ministry source says that Boro paddy grew about two crore tonnes, while Aman production was about 1.5 crore tonnes. The paddy production exceeded its target, yet about 40 lakh tones of rice were imported during last fiscal year.
Analysts has raised question why is not the price of rice decreasing even after the supply was more than the demand?
Food Minister Quamrul Islam told The New Nation yesterday that the farmers were not getting fair price of rice due to the duty-free import of rice.
Admitting the recent price hike report the minister said, “Now the farmers are getting good rate of both paddy and rice. We are happy at the usual price of rice and paddy.”
He also said, there is no shortage of rice here. The government is watching everything and rice price may not fly high.
US Department of Agriculture USDA last week published a report on rice production and its price mentioning that Bangladesh government fixed up price for procurement of per kg paddy at Tk 24. But in the local markets paddy was selling at Tk 17.5 to Tk 22.5 based on quality.
USDA reports also said that the farmers are not getting fair price as the paddy was selling below the government fixed rate.
Former caretaker government Adviser AMM Shawkat Ali said, ” It should be observed whether farmers are getting benefits of price hike?
Following the coarse rice price hike the poor and limited income group of people both in city and urban areas will fall in danger, he said.
Asked about why rice prices are increasing in the country after the surplus supply, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Auto and Husking Mill Owners’ Association AKM Laik Ali said, after imposing of import duty, traders raised the price of rice.
So, the price of rice has increased slightly. But he did not think that the price increased in the unusual way last year, Laik Ali said.
Asked about the reasons for not reducing the price of rice in Bangladesh, the honorable Fellow of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and economist M Asaduzzaman said that the rice market management has been going through mismanagement for a long time. The market is not supervised by the government strongly. If the price of rice increases, over one crore of poor people will be in big trouble.
So, the government should handle of the rice markets carefully, he said.
According to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) on June28, the price of the rice in the last one week increased by 5 percent.
Last week the coarse rice price was Tk 38 to 42. On Thursday it was Tk 40 to 44. Medium and fine quality of rice price were also increased by 2 to 3 percent.
