Rice production in the Aman season showed a record as output reached approximately 13.029 million tonnes, up by nearly 1.15 per cent from that of previous season.
The Aman production is maintaining a growth trend for the last nine consecutive years thanks for adaptation of new high yielding varieties (HYV) of seeds and mechanised cultivation, officials said.
"But, despite having vigorous production, the price of the staple is marking a two and half years' high depriving the consumers benefits of the higher output," Consumers Association of Bangladesh Secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan told the FE.
He said rice price is now 32 to 34 per cent higher compared to the prices of last year.
"Absence of government market intervention, lack of dynamic marketing policy and monopoly of the big millers are responsible for the higher prices," he said.
However, coarse rice Shawrna variety was selling at Tk31-32 (Rangpur, Rajshahi) and Tk 35-36 per kg (Dhaka, Chittagong).
Finer variety Miniket was sold at Tk44-52, Najirshail Tk46-57, medium quality Brridhan-28 at Tk40-44, Parija Tk40-44 per kg in the country, according to the state run Department of Agricultural Marketing (DoAM).
A Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) official told the FE that total acreage has been recorded at 5.625 million hectares this Aman season which was 5.61 million hectares last season.
BBS, jointly with the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), is conducting rice output survey by appropriating a 'new crop cutting design,' he informed.
"The design was used in last Boro season," he said.
"The final report of the Aman production will be made public within the next two weeks. Following the increased acreage and primary report of per hectare yield, we are expecting the production will be approximately 13.02 million tones," he said.
The output is set to be nearly 1.15 per cent higher compared to that of FY'13.
BBS survey showed the country's Aman output in the FY'13 was 12.897 million tonnes. It was nearly 0.78 per cent higher than that of its previous fiscal.
However, the statistics of record rice output is absent in the market.
Subaltern Communication Research Centre chairman Delowar Jahan (SCRC) said the higher price has hit the fixed income people hard as most of their income is being spent on purchasing rice. SCRC works for marginal people in the country
"Until last month, the hike in rice prices was attributed to the supply crunch caused by political chaos, imbalance and increased fare of transportation," he said.
"The supply is now been normal, transportation cost has come down and prices of the staple are stable across the globe, but consumers are paying higher prices," he continued.
He said, "It costs Tk26.5-Tk27.5 for a miller to produce per kg Shwarna rice this year, but the price is Tk31-32 per kg at the mill gates."
When asked, Bangladesh Auto, Major, Husking Mill Owners' Association (BAMHMOA) convener KM Layek Ali said the market of rice maintained a high trend from Aman harvest.
"Farmers got price between Tk680-750 for per maund (40 kg) of normal variety of paddy this Aman season, the prices of different varieties of paddy are now hovering between Tk750-Tk900," said Mr Ali, representing the country's 18000 rice mills.
"Higher prices of paddy and higher interest rate for bank loans are the two major two reasons behind the price hike," he said.
According to the Directorate General of Food (DGoF), the country's rice demand stands at 31.0 million tonnes.
Overall rice production was 33.77 million tonnes in FY'13 and the target for the current financial year has been set at 34.5 million tonnes.
Aman season contributes 37 per cent of the total rice output in the country.
