In nature it’s the season to bring back harvest from the fields; at rural homes, there is an air of celebration and a new rice crop is coming to the market. With bumper production, the price of rice has started to fall and Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzak says that rice may be exported.
With surplus rice, the price of fine and coarse rice has seen a dip by Tk 3 to Tk 5. At present, per kg of coarse rice is being sold at Tk 30 to Tk 32, which was Tk 36 a month ago.
At present, the wholesale rate of coarse rice is Tk 25 -- Tk 26.
Fine rice is being sold at Tk 50 -- Tk 55.
General Secretary of the Rice Traders Association, Nizam Uddin says: “The demand for rice is falling; in addition, to get relief from a variety of ailments, some people seek alternative food as per the advice of doctors.”
The General Secretary of the Bangladesh Husking Rice Mills Owners Association MR Layek Ali added: “When demand falls, the price will automatically see a dip but since rice is the staple food, it has to be produced.”
'Farmers need to be given the right price to sustain their enthusiasm, we have asked for a 30 percent incentive from the government and a file regarding this has been sent to the commerce ministry from the agriculture ministry,' he added.
To ensure food security for the farmers, the government is thinking about exporting rice. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has said that the issue of incentive was a policy matter for the government and would need time to work out.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to buy 600,000 tonnes of Aman paddy from farmers at Tk 26 per kg. This year, 15.3 million metric tonnes of Aman paddy has been produced.
Food Minister Shadhan Chandra Mazumdar said: “The country is self- sufficient in food and we expect a bumper production of Boro and Aman paddy. To help the farmers, the government has decided to purchase 600,000 tonnes of rice from marginal farmers.”