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Download PDF Wholesale price of Aman rice at Rangpur rice markets during this harvest season has shot up unusually and traders are blaming it on Cyclone Sidr.
A bag of Aman rice is now Tk 150 to 200 costlier than the price a week ago on the local markets.
Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur Khondker Atiar Rahman told this correspondent that Cyclone Sidr might have an impact on the Aman prices, but the situation is likely to improve when the Aman harvest gets into full swing.
Rice dealers of Rangpur’s Mahiganj, one of the largest rice markets in the north, claimed that Aman prices are escalating as rice traders from the cyclone affected southern districts — Khulna, Bagerhat, Barisal and Pirojpur — are buying rice in large quantities from northern districts.
Amirul Islam, a rice dealer at Mahiganj, said an 86-kg bag of coarse rice is now selling at Tk 1,700 to 1,750 as opposed to last week’s price of Tk 1,560 to 1600 while fine rice that was Tk 1,800 a bag last week, is now selling at Tk 1,900 to 2,000.
The demand for newly harvested Aman rice is abnormally high compared to its supply in the markets, leading to the price hike, he said.
Besides Aman rice, the traders from southern districts are also buying up Aman paddy, said Shahiduzzaman Saju, a rice miller at BSCIC industrial area in Kurigram.
This is creating shortage in local paddy markets and millers are having difficulties buying paddy to run the rice mills, he added.
A 75-kg bag of BR-11 or BR-2 paddy now sells at Tk 1,078 at Rajarhat, Kattalbari and Ulipur markets. Whereas the price was Tk 875 to 900 a week ago, said Saju.
Rice dealers in Rangpur, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat predicted that in a few days, rice prices would rise further after the government starts rice procurement from listed dealers.
A number of rice farmers said low yield of Aman in the flood-affected districts is one of the reasons behind supply shortage this season in local paddy markets.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension officials, apart from floods, pest attack and fertiliser crisis in the affected districts caused the poor crop yield.
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