RAJSHAHI, Mar 27: The harvest of paddy has been good. The supply of rice is adequate. But the prices are going up in the district.
Prices of all varieties of the staple-rice have soared up in different bazaars.
Sources concerned said the rice prices are going up due to an unscrupulous circle capitalising coronavirus outbreak.
For the last one month, the rice markets have been unstable.
A kind of volatility has caused the suffering to the general consumers.
A random survey recently found certain varieties shot up by Tk 300 to 700 per bag. It has cast an impact on the retail sales too.
The price of per kg rice has been up by Tk 2 to 5 in retail sale.
Swarna coarse-variety has risen to Tk 1,500 per bag against Tk 1,200 a few days back. The fine variety of Sawrna has also shot up selling at Tk 1,600, up by Tk 200.
The hike was followed by Basmati and Miniket as well.
Tk 500 up has been registered with Basmati selling at Tk 2,800 per bag against the previous rate of Tk 2,300. Miniket is selling at Tk 2,400 per bag against previous rate of Tk 2,100. Sunned rice is selling at Tk 4,600 per bag against the previous price of Tk 3,900.
The 28 variety rice, the usual staple for the middle-class, is selling at Tk 3,200 per bag against the previous of Tk 2,900.
Retail traders are purchasing varieties of rice at higher rates from wholesale markets and retailing at an increased rate.
Miniket variety has shot up to Tk 55 per kg from Tk 48. Jirashail variety is selling at Tk 50 to 55 per kg against previous Tk 45 to 50.
The varieties- Basmati, Paijam and Nazirshail have an average hike rate of Tk 5 per kg.
One week back, Basmati, Paijam and Nazirshail were selling at Tk 60 per kg.
The price trend is stable for Balam, Ranjit and Kataribhogh (boiled) selling per kg at Tk 60, 38 and 75 respectively.
Over the last one month, these three varieties experienced no changes in the selling rates.
Proprietor Abdul Kader Bhulon of M/s Makka Rice Agencies in the city said all the rice and pulse are in the hand of auto-millers. They are controlling the market.
This year the farmers did not get fair prices. It has been grabbed by the millers. They have purchased paddy at cheap rates. They are now marketing these in high rates.
"We have to purchase in high rates," he added.
He thinks the millers' syndicate has been manipulating the rice markets.
The low-incoming consumers are in hardship because of the price hike.
A consumer Rayhan Hossain in a market said, "It is not possible to pass even a single day without rice. As a low-income people, it is hard for me to pay even extra two taka."
To keep the rice markets stable, further monitoring by the authorities concerned is necessary.
