With government’s various initiatives, including introduction of open market sale (OMS) in the city and district, the price of different varieties of rice has marked downward trend in the south-west region of the country.
In a span of week, the rice price has been decreased by Tk 4 to 5 per kilogram in wholesale markets, Haji Munir Ahmed, President of Khulna Paddy and Rice Wholesale Business Association says, adding the price will also come down more within few days.
The price of rice had gone rise up to Tk 10 to 15 per kg in the past one and half month or so in the wholesale markets, sources from different markets said.
"Huge stocks of rice in government's warehouse, rampant drives of mobile court against the rice hoarders along with reaching several ship with imported rice at Mongla Port has been playing a vital role to decrease the price of rice," Ahmed said.
Wholesalers at Borobazar rice market said imported rice is now being sold at Tk 45, gut swarna at Tk 43, miniket at Tk 52 and nazirshail at Tk 54 per kilogram.
Meanwhile, President of Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Kazi Aminul Haque, blamed that a section of greedy rice millers and some business syndicate hiked the price through creating artificial crisis with the hope of extra benefit.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Zahangir Hossain said, five teams are continuously operating mobile court against hoarding of rice in Khulna district and the city.
Contacted, Khulna Regional Food Controller (RC-Food) S M Mohsin said, a total of 40,000 tonnes rice has been hoarded at government go-downs at all the upazilas and ten districts in Khulna division, according to BSS.