The consumers of rice, the staple food of people in the State, are facing a paradoxical situation with no signs of any letup in its increasing price in the open market on one hand and the millers claiming that the wholesale prices in the international markets are heading southwards on the other.
Against the claims of the Rice Millers’ Association of Telangana that the wholesale price of superfine quality rice in the State had been hovering around Rs. 30 per kg for the last seven years, its price in the open market witnessed a constant rise during the period. In the upward supermarkets the retail price of quality superfine variety rice is ranging from Rs. 47 to Rs. 52 per kg.
“The wholesale price of preferred varieties of rice is constantly ranging between Rs. 30 and Rs. 35. The fact that we have supplied 44,873 tonnes of superfine-old rice at Rs. 36 per kg and superfine-new rice of 1.29 lakh tonnes at Rs. 32.5 per kg to the State Government so far for the purpose of welfare hostels and mid-day meal scheme buttresses our claims”, says president of the association G. Nagendra.
The rice millers succeeded in getting government nod recently for export of one-lakh tonnes of superfine varieties of rice – sale in the international markets or in other States in the country – on the premise that there were stocks of over 14 lakh tonnes rice available in the State and it was more than sufficient compared to the needs.
“As the stocks of rice piled up with the millers, the impending milling of paddy being procured in rabi season adds to our woes as there is no demand for rice in the local markets”, reasoned association general secretary V. Mohan Reddy. Supporting the argument of Mr. Mohan Reddy, president of South India Rice Millers’ Association T. Devendar Reddy stated that average prices of rice in the international markets was less than the prices in the country by over Rs. 400 per quintal.
Asked why there was so much variation in the price of preferred varieties of rice in the retail market in spite of lesser prices in the international market and availability of more than sufficient stocks in the State, Mr. Nagendra explained that it would depend on overhead costs involved, type of retailer and quality within the preferred varieties. “Superfine rice is available at the prices being quoted by me with the wholesale rice stores even in the cities like Hyderabad”, he argued.
