KOLKATA: The increase in retail prices of rice, the main staple in eastern India, is causing considerable stress in households already struggling with tight budgets and ever soaring prices of commodities.
Record procurement of rice, massive growth in exports of rice to Bangladesh and Vietnam and higher transportation costs have all contributed to the price rise that has happened twice in the past two months.
Parboiled varieties of rice, particularly fine and long grain ones, have increased by Rs 8-12 a kg since November. These are the varieties largely consumed in Bengal’s towns and cities. Traders say the price could rise further due to high demand for the long-grain Bengal variety in Bangladesh and other countries in the region.
State government agri-adviser Pradeep Mazumdar, though, allayed such fears, saying the prices could actually stabilise and even go down once the Boro crop is harvested. “All these long-grain rice varieties are products of Boro season. The seeds have just been sown and we are expecting a good crop. The prices should come down,” he claimed.
But rice traders said while both the Centre and state have procured record quantities of rice at higher MSP in 2020-21, sowing was just 40% compared to 2019-20, leaving a deficit in production.
