Price of coarse rice on rise in city markets

Price of coarse rice in the wholesale markets of the city has been registering an upward trend for the last five days.
Meanwhile, food directorate yesterday took the decision to reduce rice supply to 1,020 kg from 1,500 kg to a dealer for open market sale (OMS) outlets across the country.
The mobile outlets (direct sell centres) run by the directorate in the city has been decreased to 40 outlets from 60 ones.
Director General of Food Directorate Pias Costa told The Daily Star yesterday that the quantity of the rice has been reduced following a fall in demand.
He said the food ministry took the decision yesterday to be executed from today.
Visiting different large rice wholesale markets in the city including Babubazar, Badamtuli, Mohammadpur Krishi Market, short supply of coarse was found yesterday.
Coarse rice was selling yesterday at Tk 1,220 to Tk 1,260 per mound (37.32kg), while it was Tk 1,185 to Tk 1,230 previously.
Rice traders said the price of the grain at different rural markets across the country, including the northern districts, has been rising slightly for the last six days following a decision by the government last week to procure grains from the local markets at a price of Tk 28 per kg.
The coarse rice is not available both in the rural and the city wholesale markets, said wholesale traders at Babubazar, adding that the fine rice is available.
But the rice was seen available at retail shops in the city.
Shopkeepers at different city markets said the sale of coarse rice has been plummeted recently due to the government's safety net programmes, under which per kg coarse rice is being sold at Tk 25 instead of minimum Tk 34 at common markets.
The recent rise in wholesale price of the coarse rice has not made any impact on retail markets, they said.