‘Damages in haors should not fuel rice prices now’

The top leader of an apex trade body today criticised the businesses for increasing rice prices because of a fall in rice production in haor areas.

"The highest amount of rice was produced in the previous season. The country should get benefit of it now," said Md Jashim Uddin, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).

It is also not logical to increase rice prices now as floods damaged only 30 per cent of the rice produced in haor areas, he said.

"Moreover, the damages caused in haor areas should not fuel rice prices not before six months from now."

The FBCCI chief also blasted the traders for hoarding rice to create an artificial crisis in the market and increase its prices.

He expressed his dissatisfaction in a meeting at the FBCCI auditorium in Dhaka with different stakeholders involved in rice business.

Jashim Uddin said the government has taken a timely decision to go for countrywide raids by various government agencies, including food ministry, from June 1 to find out and punish illegal hoarders of rice.

On the first day, the government teams visited hundreds of business places in eight divisions and fined around Tk 24 lakh.

It is not possible to control everything through monitoring, the FBCCI president said.

Everyone involved in the supply chain should play a responsible role to ensure stable rice prices in the domestic market, he said.