Due to the syndicate of rice mill owners, the rice market in Kushtia has become unstable, but the buyers are complaining that there is no supervision by the local administration. In the last 2/3 days, all types of rice are being sold at an increase of Tk 100 per sack in the Kushtia market. Local administration has no control over them. During the regime of the former Awami government, some millers were fined and their warehouses were sealed when some irregularities were caught by the former minister.
At that time, the district administration ordered the sale of miniket (thin rice) at Tk 62 per kg, but it could not be implemented in the Kushtia rice market. Since then, the rice market is still out of control. General consumers have complained that the rice market is not decreasing due to the lack of proper monitoring of the rice market. A syndicate of mill owners is responsible for this price hike.
At yesterday morning, when we spoke to the rice traders of Kushtia Bara Bazar and Paur Bazar area, they said that the rice market is still beyond the purchasing power of the consumers. Miniket plain rice (fine rice) is selling at Tk 1,770 per sack, in last 2/3 days it was also sold at Tk 1650 per sack, kajal lata at Tk 1640, basmati at Tk 2280, Kataribhog is selling at Tk 1640, gold rice is being sold at Tk 1300, coarse rice 28 is being sold at Tk 1450 which is being sold at a higher price of Tk 100 per bag than before. There may be a slight decrease when new rice will come.
Consumers said that although all the steps of the government are good, the government is showing failure in controlling the market. Due to which the price of rice increases one after another in the market but it cannot be controlled. Day laborer Akkas Ali came to Kushtia Municipal Market to buy rice and said, I don't see the price of rice decreasing. We can’t buy rice with what we earn; we won’t do any other market if we buy rice. It is difficult to buy rice at the price of rice in the market. Farid Uddin rice trader said, if the price of rice is not reduced at the mill gate, how will the price be reduced in the market? We are selling rice at a profit of Tk 50 paisa to 1 from the price at which we are buying it from the mill.
Abdur Rashid, the owner of Rashid Agro of Khajanagar rice market in Kushtia, said that the price of rice has also increased a little due to the increase in the prices of all things. If the new paddy will come in the market, the next 15/20 days, the price of rice will decrease to some extent. Now there is a rice crisis going on all over the world. He said many mills are closed due to lack of rice. Workers are also becoming unemployed.
However, the rice traders of Kushtia town market said that Rashid Agro, Zafar Rice Mill, Jamser Rice Mill, Ahad Rice Mill, Pragati Rice Mill, Dada Rice Mill, Desh Agro and Fresh Agro of Kushtia Khajanagar Mokam are controlling the rice market in Kushtia. If they reduce the price of rice in mill gate, then the price of rice will decrease in the market. They are not reducing the price but increasing the price of rice day by day. There are many questions to be answered when selling rice to consumers. They say that the price of rice will come down only if the syndicate of mill owners is broken. Businessmen complained that the government is not paying attention to this.
Kushtia district food control officials said, we are monitoring whether the food is being stored as per the license. District mills and wholesale and retail traders are being seen to see if there is any manipulation or not. If anyone does, legal action will be taken against them. The market does not match the words of this official. If the rice market is properly monitored, there is very little possibility of rice price increasing. But the rice market has gone out of control due to dillydally monitoring. Poor and middle class people are in trouble. Therefore, consumers feel that there is a need for tougher market monitoring to control the rice market.
ZH
