Naogaon is the largest rice producing district in the country, and the lion's share of the country's rice demand is met from this district.
But in the last one week, the prices of all types of rice have skyrocketed in the season filled with all kinds of wholesale and retail markets. Increased from 3 to 4 taka per kg. Rice mill owners claim that the cost of rice production has gone up due to the rise in paddy prices. The price of paddy has to be increased from 100 to 150 taka per ounce per week.
After the production of rice, the price has to be increased to adjust the cost.
Anisur Rahman, a retailer of Naogaon Municipal Rice Market, said that in the last one week, the price of Sampakatari rice was Tk 68-70 per kg, now it is Tk 72-74 per kg, Swarna-5 was Tk 45 per kg and now it is Tk 48-50. Taka per kg, Gerashail was 60-62 taka per kg, there was presently 74-75 taka per kg, twenty-nine was 55-56 taka per kg, there was presently 60 taka per kg. In other words, the price of rice has increased by 3-4 taka per kg. Maqbool Hossain, former president of Naogaon Municipal Small Rice Traders' Association, said that although the price of rice was supposed to come down after the emergence of new paddy, now it is the opposite. This time the price of rice is higher than other years. The millers say the reason is that the farmer's paddy has been ruined due to the hostile weather. The yield was not what it was supposed to be. Therefore, the price of paddy is higher as the import is less in the market.
If the price of paddy is higher then the price of rice will be higher. This is normal. Last week I bought a sack of rice for 2800 taka. Now I have to buy that sack for 3200 taka. The price of rice is increasing every day.
In this way, both the buyer and the seller are in trouble.
Farhad Hossain Chakdar, general secretary of the District Rice Mill Owners Group, said one of the reasons for the rise in rice prices was the high price of paddy. Due to hostile weather, paddy production has been disrupted in the northern region including Naogaon.
Traders have started competing to buy paddy in the market due to fears of declining paddy production. After buying paddy at higher prices, the price of rice has to be increased to adjust the cost after rice production. So the government needs to look into the matter.
