Despite availability of sufficient stocks of paddy with rice mills, price of rice has recorded sharp increase in the retail market in Tiruchi.
On an average, the price has gone by ₹6 -12 a kg of boiled rice, depending on the quality and variety. In retail rice stores and grocery shops in Tiruchi, one kg of Mannachanallur Ponni (old) variety was sold between ₹56 and ₹62. The price of Mannachanallur ponni (new) was hovering between ₹45 and ₹50.
Before the imposition of lockdown, one kg of Mannachanallur Ponni (old) was sold at ₹48 -54 and new rice was sold at ₹42-46. Prices of Andhra and Karnataka ponni have also gone by ₹5-6 a kg. Similarly, the rates of idly rice have also risen by ₹5 a kg.
“Most retail and grocery stores in the city sell one kg of high quality Ponni rice at ₹60 a kg. The rate is ₹56 in a few stores. The upward revision is due to high cost of transportation of rice,” says Manikandan, who runs a grocery store in Cantonment.
However, except a few old varieties of rice, the rates in Mannachanallur, where about dozens of rice mills are located, remain unchanged for the last five months. Though the supply chain was disrupted for a week after the lockdown, it was restored quickly with the intervention of the State government.
Due to sharp increase in prices of rice, several consumers visit Mannachanallur to buy rice directly from the mills.
M. Sivanandan, who owns a rice mill at Mannachallur, told The Hindu that the number of consumers from Tiruchi, who visited Mannachallur to buy rice directly from the mills, had gone up sharply over the last few days. It was mainly due to a big difference in price.
Industry sources attributed the price rise to a section of retailers, who have created an “artificial shortage” of rice in the wake of curfew restrictions. Some traders, who have taken, advantage of restriction in business hours and business days, have increased the prices.
Industry sources further said that there was no reason for price rise in the near future as rice mills have piled up stocks. Moreover, farmers also have a huge stock. The current price would likely to continue up to the year end.
