Photo: Prito Reza / driknews

"We need to find out some ways to reduce the gap", said the Honourable Food Minister, while talking to reporters on 11th October on the subject of high price of rice at the retail market, reported in your pages on 12th October. The gap stated, was between the wholesale and retail prices. So far so good, but will the finding out be done, and the reasons identified and steps taken to contain it?
That is the crux of the matter! The time frame is critical, and your guess about the gap, will be as good as mine. Hopefully, the 'finding out' will be done soon. But the reality could be surprising! After all, as the wise man said, “Slow and steady, wins the race.” However, I wonder if this is valid, when it is a race against time?
The reporter, however, on the absorbing and important subject of price of imported wheat, which governs its retail price in the market, did not provide any real data in support of his argument. I am sure, given your valued publication's sources and contacts, this could have been obtained. The ideal would have been a factual breakdown of cost to the wholesaler, based on last season's imports vis-à-vis the current import cost, and analysing the differences. Then the opinion would have had teeth, and been really effective, rather than a broad opinion.
The reporter, however, stated that the price gap for rice was (42-30) i.e. Tk. 12 per kg (hopefully, as unit was not specified). This is a 40% increase in one month or so, and is really staggering. On this matter too, backing up with figures would have been really effective, otherwise it only appears more as an opinion than reality.