Rice prices soar despite good stock in Jessore

Despite sufficient stock, prices of both coarse and fine rice have shot up in Jessore. Photo shows the godown of Sonali Store, a wholesale rice shop at Boro Bazar in the district town. Photo: Star

Despite sufficient stock, prices of both coarse and fine varieties of rice have shot up on both wholesale and retail markets in the district over the last one month.
Coarse rice prices have increased to Tk 34-36 from Tk 23-27 per kilogram while prices of fine rice now stand at Tk 44-46 per kg from Tk 29-31 recorded a month ago.
While visiting the rice market in the town on Saturday, rice traders attributed the soaring rice prices to manipulation by rice mill owners and wholesalers. They said the millers have built up a good stock of rice varieties to sell them at higher rates in March and April.
Khalilur Rahman, manager of a wholesale rice shop at Jessore Boro Bazar, said coarse rice BR-28 is being sold at their shop at Tk 34-36 per kilogram, BR-10 at Tk 29-31 and sarna at Tk 26-27. Fine rice miniket is being sold at 44-46 and Kajallata at Tk 42-44 per kilogram, he added.
One kilogram of BR-28 was sold at Tk 27-28, saran at Tk 22-23, BR-10 at Tk 25-26, miniket at Tk 31-32 and Kajallata at Tk 30-31 a month ago, he further said.
Babul Akhter of Shalkona village under Sharsa upazila said they harvested miniket, Kajallata and BR-28 in the last boro season in April 2012 and sold them at Tk 600 to Tk 700 per maund.
Sarna and BR-10, harvested in December last year, was priced between Tk 450 and Tk 500 per mound, Babul said, adding that millers purchased rice varieties from farmers at cheaper rates and are now selling them at higher rates.
Mostafa of Satmile area under Jessore Sadar upazila said stocks of miniket, Kajallata and BR-28 has been exhausted and saran and BR-10 are inadequate at farmers' level. Taking advantage of it, millers are earning good profit by selling rice at higher prices, he added.
Farmer Nazrul Islam said price manipulation by millers and wholesale rice traders have caused price spiral of rice in the market. Farmers are always deprived of fair price of their produce, he said.
According to the Jessore office of the Department of Agriculture extension (DAE), last year's production of boro in the district was 6,58,107 tonnes while aman was 3,75,006 tonnes.