- Retailers and wholesalers are blaming the mill owners
- Husking mills closing due to auto mills
- Tk1 cr 34 lakh fine for one month campaign
Raids across the country, fines of over crores of taka followed by the announcement of duty exemptions. The last 30 companies were allowed to import 83 thousand tons of rice. However dishonest rice traders are not paying attention to these steps. The rice market has not been affected by the government's arrangements. On the contrary, the price has increased by leaps and bounds.
In the last week, the price of all types of rice has increased by Tk3 to Tk4 per kg. People are already exhausted by the increased prices of most daily commodities during Ramadan. Lower and middle-class customers are in danger due to the new increase in the price of rice. In the game of raising prices, those who are shaking the stick, are putting the responsibility on each other's neck. Retailers and wholesalers are blaming the mill oweners. They say that there are fewer buyers of rice in the market during ramadan. So the price should be normal. But the market does not have that picture. They claim that the price of rice has increased by Tk 100 to Tk 150 per bag at Millgate without any reason, which has affected the retail market.
On the other hand, the mill owners claim that there is a shortage of rice. They are blaming the seasonal hoarders for this. According to them, seasonal traders have bought paddy from the farmers at a low price. As a result, the farmer has no paddy. The mill owners are forced to buy paddy from the hoarder at a higher price.
As the price of paddy is high, the price of rice has increased from Tk.50 paise to Tk1 per kg at the mill level. Some of the mill owners said that there is no registration of seasonal traders. As a result, the government does not even have statistics on how much rice they have in store.
For this reason, the government is not able to bring those hoarders under the law. Apart from that, the husking mills are closing due to auto mills. Meanwhile, the government's attention needs to be increased.
Although the price of rice has increased by Tk3-4 , government officials claim that the price has not increased. The market is perfectly normal. BR-28 and Pyjam varieties of rice are the most sold in the market, Which is known as medium-sized rice. A few retail markets including Moghbazar, Segunbagicha, Tejkunipara, and Karwan Bazar in Dhaka were visited on Monday and Tuesday, medium rice is being sold at Tk 56 to Tk 58 per kg and coarse rice is being sold at Tk 52 to Tk 54 per kg.
Eight-ten days ago, the prices of these two types of rice were Tk52 to Tk54 and Tk48 to Tk52respectively. At the same time, small or miniket rice was Tk68 to Tk72 per kg, consumers now have to buy at Tk70 to Tk76. According to that, these three types of rice have increased by Tk 2 to Tk 4 per kg. Abdul Quader, a private employee, bought 20 kg of rice from Moghbazar yesterday. He said, 'I bought eight rice at the beginning of this month for Tk54 per kg. After 20 days, the same rice has to be bought today at Tk58.
20 kg of rice went up by Tk80. According to the report of the government agency Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the price of all types of rice is higher in the market than this time last year. According to the information of the organization, at this time last year, thin rice was Tk 60 to Tk 75, medium rice was Tk 50 to Tk 56, and total rice was Tk 46 to Tk 50. According to TCB's report last Friday, thin rice was sold at Tk 65 to Tk 76, medium rice at Tk 54 to Tk 56, and coarse rice at Tk 50 to Tk 52 per kg in the Dhaka market. Accordingly, these three types of rice are 1 to 5 and 2 to 4 taka higher than last year respectively. In terms of percentage, the price of coarse rice has increased by 6.25 percent, medium rice by 3.77 percent, and fine rice by 4.44 percent. However, the price of fine rice has increased by 4.44 percent, medium rice by 4.76 percent, and total rice by 4.08 percent in the last month.
To keep the rice market normal, the government has withdrawn the 25 percent import duty on the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Siddha and Atap rice on February 8. Also, the regulatory duty has been reduced from 25 to 5 percent. Until now, the tax on the import of rice was Tk 31 per kg. Due to the reduction in duty, now it will be reduced by 23.5 taka per kg. This facility will be available till May 15. Mahmud Hasan Raju, general secretary of the Hasking Mill Owners Association of Thakurgaon, said that the government wants to ensure a fair price for farmers. On the other hand, millers are told to sell rice at low prices. So how is it possible to buy rice at a higher price from the farmer and sell rice at a lower price? Claiming that the Husking mill is closing down due to the non-cooperation of the government, he said that if the government collects 100 tons of rice annually from an auto mill, on the contrary, it collects only 10 to 12 tons from the Husking mill. But the more the rice is polished in the auto mill, the more its nutritional value is lost.
However, HR Khan Pathan Saki, leader of the Rice Mill Owners' Association, said that according to the law, paddy and rice cannot be stored for more than 15 days. There is less paddy in the mill now. But within 15 to 20 days new paddy will emerge. The market will be normal.
Meanwhile, Food Secretary Ismail Hossain claimed that the price of rice has not increased. He said the market is completely stable. But the market price review, even in the TCB data, there is evidence of price increase - he said, "I have the data." The price hike in the market is not correct at all.
ZH
