Loss of 2 lakh tonnes of rice in Howrah, prices are increasing
Photo Collected
In 2017, rice prices rose at a record rate due to crop losses in Howrah.
This time the loss is only 1% of the total production. Still prices are rising.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Financial assistance to farmers started from this month.
The amount of loss due to rains and landslides in Howar is about 2 lakh 14 thousand metric tons of rice, which is about 1 percent of the total production of Boro season. But the market is beginning to have an impact. The price of rice is increasing again.
বিজ্ঞাপন
After checking the wholesale shops of Babubazar, Mohammadpur Krishi Market and Karwan Bazar in Old Dhaka, the price of rice has increased by Tk 2 to Tk 5 per kg in the last three to four days. Retail has yet to have an impact.
Traders say that Boro is the main season of rice production in the country. At the beginning of this season, the price of rice usually falls. This time it was less. However, the decline did not last. Prices are rising again.
In 2017 too, rains, flash floods and landslides from India destroyed crops. Then the price of rice increased drastically. The annual report of Bangladesh Bank (2017) says that the loss of rice in Boro season that year stood at 2 million tons. On the other hand, Aman is also damaged by floods. 1.5 lakh tonnes less rice is produced in Aman.
According to Bangladesh Bank, in September 2017, the price of coarse rice rose to Tk 48 per kg, which was Tk 17 more than the previous year. This price increase was the highest in the history of the country.
Rice is the main food of the people of the country. If its price increases, the low income people and the middle class will suffer more. Since 2020, the price of rice has increased in the country. There have been various attempts to reduce the price in the past. However, due to lack of effective measures, the prices did not fall at the desired rate.
It was expected to produce more rice at the beginning of Boro season this time. But mid-season irrigation disruptions in Dieselsongket and late rains and downpours have damaged paddy.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has calculated the extent of the damage. According to their information, 2 lakh 36 thousand 811 small, marginal and square farming farmers have suffered losses due to 9 days of rain and landslides from April 26 to May 4.
Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria – account of these seven districts. According to the report, the most land has been damaged in Sunamganj. The second highest damage was in Netrakona. Kishoreganj is on the third place in the damage list.
Paddy has also been more or less damaged due to heavy rains in various districts outside Haor. But he did not count. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) production calculation at the end of the season will give the full picture.
Boro season paddy has been cultivated on a total of 4 lakh 55 thousand 153 hectares of land in Howar. The extent of affected land is 49 thousand hectares, which is about 11 percent of the total land area of Haor.
The Department of Agricultural Extension has divided the agricultural land of Haor region into three categories based on water flow and topographical features. Upper Basin, Middle Basin and Lower Basin. According to the department, 30 percent of Haor’s total agricultural land is in the Bhati basin. Paddy cultivation here is always risky. Every three to four years there is a risk of heavy rains and flash floods.
Additional director of the department’s surface branch. Jamal Uddin said that there was no such flood or early rain in the last two years. This time paddy cultivation started 10 to 12 days late due to delay in water coming down from Haor. On the other hand, it has rained in advance. With hill slopes. All in all, the farmer has suffered this time.
Meanwhile, the government has planned to pay Rs 7,500 per person to the affected farmers. The Directorate of Agricultural Extension has calculated that a total of 177 crore rupees will be required.
If asked to know, additional director of the department’s surface branch. Jamal Uddin told Prothom Alo, “We have given the list of affected farmers and the amount of damage to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. The Ministry of Relief will provide financial assistance.
Additional Secretary of Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Nurun Akhtar (disaster forecasting, response and coordination) told Prothom Alo, “We will start the financial assistance program from this month.” It will continue for three months – May, June and July.’
According to the information of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Boro season paddy has been cultivated in 50 lakh hectares of land in the country this time. The production target is 2 crore 27 lakh tonnes. 55 to 60 percent of the country’s paddy production comes from the Boro season. According to BBS, the country produced a little over 2.13 lakh tonnes of rice during the last Boro season.
Mohammadpur Agricultural Market Barisal Rice Agency Manager Mohiuddin Reza told Prothom Alo that the price of rice decreased during Boro season. This time too it was much less. It is increasing now.
Kawsar Rahman, the owner of Rice Agency, a rice artist in old Dhaka’s Babubazar, said the same thing. He said, the demand for new rice is usually low. In wholesale, fine rice that arrived a week ago was sold at Tk 10 less per kg than old rice. Now it has increased by 4-5 rupees per kg. Similarly, the price of coarse and medium rice also decreased. Now again the price of all types of rice is 2 to 5 taka more.
New coarse rice is being sold at Tk 45-46 per kg, Pajam and BR-28 rice at Tk 51-52, Miniket at Tk 60-66 and Nazirshail at Tk 70 to Tk 85 per kg.
According to the government agency Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), coarse rice is Tk 48 to Tk 60 per kg in the retail market. The price of medium rice is 52 to 68 taka. Thin rice 70 to 85 taka.
The price of rice has been on the rise for several years. It was lower in early 2020. According to TCB, on January 1, 2020, coarse rice was Tk 30-35 per kg. Medium rice was available at Tk 40-50 and fine rice at Tk 45-60 per kg. However, the price started to rise from March that year.
According to the World Bank’s Global Commodity Price Report, rice prices in Thailand and Vietnam have been fairly stable for four months. The price per tonne is between 350-400 dollars.
Import of rice is generally prohibited in Bangladesh. Permission is granted if required. But according to analysts, imports should be kept open by imposing a certain amount of duty. So that when prices rise, imports are made and the market remains stable. If it is completely banned, it creates opportunities for manipulation in the market.
The country is still in high inflation. In the last month of April, inflation was 9.04 percent. Analysts believe that the effect of the increase in the price of fuel has fallen on inflation. They say that now the economic situation is not good. Opportunities for employment and income growth are low. At this time, care must be taken to ensure that price inflation does not increase due to rice.
Former Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. Shahjahan Kabir told Prothom Alo that the price of rice is increasing. But the farmers are not getting the price of paddy. There will be a ‘syndicate’ of rice owners. A situation may also arise that there is a shortage of rice in the market.
Shahjahan Kabir said that the only way out of this crisis is to increase the rice stock of the government. Under no circumstances will the government’s stock of rice fall below 12 lakh 50 thousand tonnes (currently 12 lakh 61 thousand tonnes). When there is an attempt to increase the price of rice in the market, the government will control the price by increasing the supply of rice in the market.
0%
0%
0%
0%
