Wholesalers lowered prices of rice, including the coarse variety, by Tk. 5–7 per kg yesterday (Wednesday), following the government’s decision taken on Tuesday. The government issued a circular yesterday, allowing the use of plastic bags instead of jute sacks to import rice for three months. Besides, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said prices of rice will go down further within the next few days, as more rice is being imported both by the government and private traders to compensate for the damage to paddy in the recent floods. “We are now selling Swarna rice at Tk. 42–43 per kg. It was being sold at Tk. 48–50 on Tuesday. Fine rice is being sold at Tk. 55–56, down from Tuesday’s rate of Tk 62–64,” Alhaj Mohsin Milon, join secretary of the Benapole Importers’ Association, told The Independent yesterday. Wholesalers in the capital are selling different varieties of rice at prices lower by Tk 1–2 per kg. “We are selling BR-28 and 29 at Tk 2,600-2,650 per maund. The price was Tk 2,700 on Tuesday. Prices of rice will go down further within a few days after fresh imports arrive,” Chitta Ranjan Saha, a rice trader of Mirpur-1, told this correspondent. Anwarul Alam, another trader of the Mohammad Krishi Market, said they are selling a 50kg bag of rice at Tk.100, which is less than Tuesday’s price. “Illegal hoarders won’t be spared. Drives will continue against illegal rice hoarders and action would be taken under the Consumers Rights Act and the Hoarding Act against persons involved in illegal hoarding,” Tofail Ahmed told reporters at the Secretariat yesterday. Wholesalers lower rice price as govt allows plastic bags
STAFF REPORTER
Wholesalers lowered prices of rice, including the coarse variety, by Tk. 57 per kg yesterday (Wednesday), following the governments decision taken on Tuesday. The government issued a circular yesterday, allowing the use of plastic bags instead of jute sacks to import rice for three months. Besides, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said prices of rice will go down further within the next few days, as more rice is being imported both by the government and private traders to compensate for the damage to paddy in the recent floods. We are now selling Swarna rice at Tk. 4243 per kg. It was being sold at Tk. 4850 on Tuesday. Fine rice is being sold at Tk. 5556, down from Tuesdays rate of Tk 6264, Alhaj Mohsin Milon, join secretary of the Benapole Importers Association, told The Independent yesterday. Wholesalers in the capital are selling different varieties of rice at prices lower by Tk 12 per kg. We are selling BR-28 and 29 at Tk 2,600-2,650 per maund. The price was Tk 2,700 on Tuesday. Prices of rice will go down further within a few days after fresh imports arrive, Chitta Ranjan Saha, a rice trader of Mirpur-1, told this correspondent. Anwarul Alam, another trader of the Mohammad Krishi Market, said they are selling a 50kg bag of rice at Tk.100, which is less than Tuesdays price. Illegal hoarders wont be spared. Drives will continue against illegal rice hoarders and action would be taken under the Consumers Rights Act and the Hoarding Act against persons involved in illegal hoarding, Tofail Ahmed told reporters at the Secretariat yesterday.
Markets are facing a crisis due to damage of paddy crops in the recent floods in the haor (wetlands) areas, the commerce minister said. A large quantity of rice is being imported to compensate for the damage. We hope that rice prices will go down further within a few day, he added.
Rice traders have increased prices of rice by Tk. 510 per kg in the last 10 days. On Tuesday, three senior ministers held a meeting with rice mill owners, importers, wholesalers and retailers at the Secretariat.
The rice traders promised to lower prices if they were allowed to use plastic bags instead of jute sacks. Later, the commerce minister allowed them to use plastic bags for imported rice.
We issued a circular today (Wednesday) relaxing the existing law to use jute bags/sacks mandatory for 17 items. The rice traders will be able to use plastic bags instead of jute sacks for a three-month period for imported rice only, Mirza Azam, state minister for textiles and jute, told reporters at a press briefing at the Secretariat yesterday.
Considering the seriousness of the crisis, we have relaxed the existing law for three months. Plastic bags will be allowed till December 20, he said.
Azam did not agree with the logic of the rice traders that prices were high because jute sacks were being used instead of plastic bags. Many rice traders have plastic factories and they want to make them operational now, he added.
