Wheat flour prices soar to new highs

Wheat-flour prices hit another record, as coarse flour or ata retailed at maximum Tk 55 a kg in the city on Thursday, intensifying woes of the consumers further, said insiders.
The current price of one kg ata is almost the same as that of medium variety rice BRRI dhan 28.
Ata price showed further hike of Tk 5.0 a kg in last one week and Tk 10.0 a kg in two weeks, according to grocers.
Each two-kg pack ata of popular companies was retailed at Tk 108 on Thursday, which was maximum Tk 98 a week back and Tk 92 two weeks back.
The current ata price is more than 50 per cent higher than that of a year back, according to traders.
Besides, finer flour or maida in loose form also witnessed a Tk 2.0-3.0 a kg hike, and retailed at maximum Tk 64 a kg in different areas of the city.
Branded maida was retailed at Tk 70 a kg, while each two-kg pack at Tk 135 a kg.
Juel Rana, a grocer at Shankar in Dhanmondi area, said maida price might surge further as per instruction of the company representatives concerned.
He noted that the retail sellers' profit from per packet would be very low - Tk 2.0-3.0 a kg.
Many grocers are now purchasing ata and maida in a low volume, as investment for the item has become high while profit margin has declined, he added.
Visiting groceries in different areas of the city, the FE found that many shops have a shortage of ata and maida. Many groceries, which earlier had loose ata and maida, cannot source the items now.
Zakir Ali, a grocer in Rayerbazar area, said traders are not supplying loose ata and maida to them.
Price of a 50-kg sack of loose ata has increased to Tk 2,500 at Moulvibazar wholesale, which was maximum Tk 1,800 two weeks back.
He added that the companies, who market branded ata and maida, are supplying the items in a low volume.
The price of flour started increasing in the country from May 13 with neighbouring India's announcement to restrict wheat export to cool down the item's price in its domestic market.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Vice President S M Nazer Hossain said lack of market monitoring and absence of the government's specific policy on wheat and flour supply is encouraging the importers and traders to cash in on India's export ban.
The goods, on which the traders are making huge profit now, were imported two to three months back.
The government should take immediate actions regarding the flour price hike, he opined.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, the country's present wheat demand is more than 7.5 million tonnes.
Bangladesh imported 3.5 million tonnes of wheat so far in the outgoing financial year, 2021-22, while produced 1.1 million tonnes, said the Ministry of Food.
Meanwhile, global wheat price started declining, after reaching a 14-year high on May 17-18.
North American wheat price is US$470-490 a tonne now, while European wheat price is $430-440 a tonne, according to the global commodity web-portals.

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