Price of essential items like rice must be kept low by the ministry not by mobile courts
COARSE rice prices have continued to trend higher even during this harvest season, adding to the woes of the low-income group amid the coronavirus pandemic. The prices rose Tk 6-7 per kg in the retail level for the second time in the last two and a half weeks. The current price of coarse rice during this Boro harvesting season is 20 per cent higher than in the last year. When 36 million people additionally face hunger with the existing 34 million and around 15 million people are on the verge of falling under the poverty line, the price hike of the main staple would bring distress for many.
Boro harvest is a major harvest season which provides 20 million tonnes of rice or 57 per cent of total rice output. The rice prices have been increasing at a time when harvesting and primary trading of Boro paddy and rice have been going on across the country. This is not a good sign during these times of pandemic, as people’s income have dropped drastically. The sudden hike in coarse rice prices means it would further hurt the poor who have already been going through financial hardships caused by the pandemic.
In this background, experts asked the government to procure at least 5.0 million tonnes of rice and paddy to build a strategic food stock to prevent any possible food shortage. Besides, the government agencies concerned should provide the most authentic data about food production within this month so that policymakers could take necessary action immediately based on their reports.
High prices of coarse rice in the mainstream market, however, affected the public food procurement. The government purchased 0.23 million tonnes of paddy and rice in the last two months against its target of 1.95 million tonnes. The government should purchase rice at a fair price to inject cash into rural economy and ensure price stability for all, particularly for the poor, to meet their demand for food intake.
Boro harvest is a major harvest season which provides 20 million tonnes of rice or 57 per cent of total rice output. The rice prices have been increasing at a time when harvesting and primary trading of Boro paddy and rice have been going on across the country. This is not a good sign during these times of pandemic, as people’s income have dropped drastically. The sudden hike in coarse rice prices means it would further hurt the poor who have already been going through financial hardships caused by the pandemic.
In this background, experts asked the government to procure at least 5.0 million tonnes of rice and paddy to build a strategic food stock to prevent any possible food shortage. Besides, the government agencies concerned should provide the most authentic data about food production within this month so that policymakers could take necessary action immediately based on their reports.
High prices of coarse rice in the mainstream market, however, affected the public food procurement. The government purchased 0.23 million tonnes of paddy and rice in the last two months against its target of 1.95 million tonnes. The government should purchase rice at a fair price to inject cash into rural economy and ensure price stability for all, particularly for the poor, to meet their demand for food intake.
