Govt assessing production, demand of 20 major essential items

The government has started a process of assessing production and demand of 20 major essential items to help check their untoward supply crisis and price spiral in the domestic market, official sources said.
Under the move, the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has advised the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) to provide information about the total production and demand of 20 commodities including rice, sugar, edible oil, pulse, onion, garlic, ginger, dry chilly, turmeric and various spices in the country, they mentioned.
 "The prices of essential items increase centering various festivals which is done by some profit-mongering businessmen. It is very unethical and illegal," the MoC high official told the FE on Wednesday.
The department concerned of the government is actively trying to stop such practice through various moves. But, it is not possible to control the prices of daily necessary goods after they start to rise. So, the MoA has taken a decision to collect a clear and particular data about production and demand of the items we need daily, he added.  
The government takes various moves to check the supply of essentials and keep their prices at tolerable level all the year round especially during Eid-ul-Fitr,  Eid-ul-Azha, Durga Puja and other festivals, said a MoC letter sent to the MoA on Sunday.
In this context, "The MoC holds meetings with importers, retailers and wholesalers, business associations and law enforcing personnel. The meetings generally discuss matters relating to import, prices, supply, stock, production and demand for essential items," the letter said.
Under this circumstance, "to keep the essentials' prices stable and to ensure their adequate supply for the consumers during Eid-ul-Fitr,  Eid-ul-Azha, Durga Puja and other festivals and throughout the year, the MoC should preserve accurate information about production and demand for rice, sugar, edible oil, onion, pulses, garlic, ginger, dry chilly, turmeric, cumin seed, coriander seed, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and cassia leaves for a year, the letter mentioned.
The overall information of domestic production and demand for essential items would be preserved with concerned government departments to contain price spiral when their prices go up, through importing the items.
Onion crisis is continuing for the last three months. The government has taken several measures to check price spiral but failed. If the government had adequate information on essentials items, onion in particular, then the trouble could have been avoided, a high official of the commerce ministry said.
The continued price spiral of daily essential items hit the consumers, who are struggling everyday cope up with the steep inflation, hard multiplying their agony, he added.
"We will do everything possible to contain the price spiral of essentials by importing those in advance," he affirmed.