Fine rice prices witness surge

​Amaravati: The prices of different rice varieties which have been spiralling for past three months are expected to go up further.

The decrease in domestic production coupled with gradual decline in the exports from Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Assam and Bihar is responsible for the upward trend in the prices.

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Highlights:

• Super fine quality rice may touch Rs 60
• Traders predict 10 to 15 per cent rise in prices in next 3 months
• The prices have been rising for past few months owing to declining supplies from other States and decreasing production domestically

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According to traders and rice millers, the price of Kurnool Sona Masoori may soon touch Rs 60 per kg, while BPT rice may hover around Rs 50 and Rs 52 per kg.

Similarly, Masuri and Sona Masuri (Sannalu) varieties may become expensive at Rs 50 per kg. As on Friday, even common varieties like Akkullu are being sold at Rs 42 per kg.

For the last three months, there has been a continuing dip in the stocks being sent to AP from Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Assam and Bihar.

Besides, due to the non-availability of water, there was no paddy crop in 11 lakh acres of Nagarjunasagar ayacut area in Guntur and Prakasam districts in the last season. Regrettably, there has been no change in the situation even in this kharif season.

Taking stock of the situation, the government has directed the farmers to cultivate irrigated-dry crops instead of paddy, contributing to the declining production of rice domestically.

"The prices of rice have been rising for last three months. Since most of the costumers prefer Kurnool Sona Masuri, BPT varieties, so the prices of these varieties are going up.

There may be an additional 10 to 15 per cent rise in prices in coming three months,” a wholesale rice trader K Srinivasa Rao predicted.

Echoing the same view that the prices are expected to go up, Guntur District Rice Millers’ Association president K Sambasiva Rao said:

“Unlike earlier, we are only receiving 30 per cent of stocks from the other States currently. Besides, most of the buyers prefer old stocks which further contribute to the spiralling prices.”