This time the Special Branch (SB) of police has come up with a set of recommendations, including bringing the market manipulators to book, in order to keep the rice prices stable.
The SB placed the recommendations in an intelligent report at a time when rice prices keep rising amid the Covid-induced shutdown, adding to woes of the commoners.
The report suggested carrying out a sudden inspection and conducting mobile courts in the larger rice mills across the country.
The SB also underlined a proper monitoring by the government officials concerned so that the licensed rice millers cannot store rice beyond their approved limit.
The report said an artificial crisis in the paddy market had been created due to lack of monitoring by the authorities concerned - the main reason behind the recent rice market volatility.
The SB, the prime intelligence agency of police, recently sent the report to the commerce ministry for taking necessary steps in this regard.
Earlier, the Bangladesh Police made some recommendations, including taking stern actions against unscrupulous traders and hoarders, to keep the country's food prices stable.
Market control, increase in the government's food grains reserve, and decrease in imports have also triggered a supply crisis of rice and paddy, thus making the market unstable in recent days, the SB report added.
It recommended keeping a close watch during the government procurement drive so that the drive cannot make any impact on the rice and paddy market.
It opined that the authorities should take necessary steps to increase wheat import for easing pressure on rice.
The report also suggested keeping an eye on any speculation about the insufficient stock of the government's food grains.
The special report put emphasis on ensuring equal facilities for all rice importers.
It observed that some established companies, including ACI, City Group, Akij Group and Sajib Group, have collected a large volume of paddy, aiming to sell packaged rice that created the paddy crisis.
The paddy crisis is contributing to the increase in rice prices as well in the market.
The prices of paddy increased by Tk 250/300 per mound despite good production in the current Boro season, the report observed.
Meanwhile, public food grain stock increased to a one-year high at 1.45 million tonnes on July 02, thanks to the progress in domestic procurement as well as imports by the government so far.
The public food storage declined to a decade low of 0.45 million tonnes at the end of April this year.
However, rising government stocks, a three-year high import as well as an expected record output in the just ended Boro harvesting season could hardly put any impact on the rice market as prices continued to surge, market experts observed.
In the outgoing financial year, highest stock was recorded at 1.35 million tonnes at the end of August 2020 which declined to 1.26 million tonnes in September last.
Of the current stock of 1.45 million tonnes, rice comprises 1.15 million tonnes while wheat 0.302 million tonnes, according to the food ministry.
According to the Directorate General of Food, 0.973 million tonnes of grain out of 1.9 million tonnes of target has been achieved until June 30 last.
Of the grains purchased by the food directorate, some 0.616 million tonnes is rice, 0.256 million tonnes paddy and the rest 0.103 million tonnes wheat.
The government asking rates are Tk 39-40 for one kg of rice and Tk 27 for one kg of paddy.
However, import of rice was also a three-year high at 1.35 million tonnes in the just ended financial year, said an official of the food directorate.
The government imported 0.57 million tonnes of rice while the private sector 0.786 million tonnes.
Nearly 0.5 million tonnes of wheat was also brought by the government in the last FY.
However, the agriculture ministry is expecting an all-time high 20.5 million tonnes of rice output in this Boro season which will meet 56-58 per cent of rice demand.
Coarse rice was sold at Tk 44-48 a kg in the city retail market on Friday last, according to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh data.
Medium and common finer varieties shot up to Tk 55-56 and to Tk 60-65 a kg on Friday last.
The prices were Tk 50-56 and Tk 56-65 respectively a week back in the city retail market, the data showed.
rezamumu@gmail.com