bdnews24.com :
The prices of all varieties of rice have increased by 13 to 19 percent, says a Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) survey.
Price of medium-coarse rice has risen the most, followed by the prices of fine and coarse rice.
According to the TCB, prices of rice were 17 percent higher this May 23 than what it was on the same day last year. Najirshile and Miniket are among the finer varieties of the grain.
A year back, these fine varieties could be had for anything between Tk 34 to Tk 48 a kg. Now they are selling for Tk 40-56.
The price of medium-quality has risen steeply by 18.57 percent. Last year this time they used cost Tk 34-36 per kg. This year they are selling at Tk 39-44.
The price of coarse rice has risen by 12.90 percent.
The prices are have shown no sign of falling, although fresh Boro harvest, the rice most extensively cultivated in the country, has already hit the market.
The selling price of rice has risen sharply but production costs have not shown a similar increase, agriculture officials have said.
Abdur Rashid, Managing Director of Kushtiya’s Rashid Agro, told bdnews24.com that several factors were behind the price rise. “Aman production has been low and there is not much coarse rice in Boro paddy.”
“Besides, businessmen passed through a difficult phase. These factors have influences the prices. But they were unlikely to climb any further,” he said.
Karwan Bazar rice merchant Abu Bakr Siddique said businessmen were being forced to buy rice at higher prices than before with the government offering rice mill owners a higher procurement price.
“Besides, transport costs had gone up during the time of political unrest. They have come down after the election but continue to be high.”
Rafiqul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, told bdnew24.com that 35.59 million tonnes (34.6 million tonnes of rice and 1.3 million tonnes of wheat) of food production has been set as the target for this financial year, an amount 2.3 percent more than the target set in the previous FY.
Besides, 4.8 million hectares were earmarked for 19 million tonnes of Boro cultivation.
He said the target was expected to be fulfilled because of favourable weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the department has begun procuring nine million tonnes of Boro rice at Tk 39 a kg.
