A consignment of 26, 250 metric tonnes of rice arrived at Chittagong Port from Pakistan on Saturday. The Pakistani vessel named ‘MV MARIAM’ carrying the rice under the Government-to-Government (G2G) deal anchored at Chittagong Port in the morning, said a media release of the Food Ministry. The unloading of the rice started after conducting the sample test, it said.  

Retail rice prices in Dhaka have risen by Tk 2 to Tk 3 per kilogram due to alleged supply shortage, despite steady wholesale market prices over the past five days. During visits to various kitchen markets, it was found that retailers have raised prices by Tk 2 to Tk 3 per kg, citing reduced supply from wholesalers. Despite no increase in wholesale prices, some retailers have opted to sell rice at higher prices. Govt to launch rice open market sale at Tk 30 per kg from Feb 1 Fazlu Mia, owner of Bhai Bhai Rice Agency in Mogbazar Kacha Bazar, told UNB that he received only 100 sacks of rice from Naogaon, instead of the usual 150 sacks. As a result, he felt compelled to increase his rice prices by Tk 2 to Tk 3 per kilogram, attributing it to the supply shortage. In the wholesale market, the prices of various types of rice were observed as follows: ·         Miniket rice: Tk 75-79 per kg ·         BR-28, BR-29: Tk 60-64 per kg ·         Nazirshail: Tk 76-84 per kg ·         Swarna: Tk 52-54 per kg ·         Pajama: Tk 57-58 per kg ·         Basmati: Tk 94-98 per kg ·         Aromatic rice (Chinigura): Tk 110-115 per kg At the retail level, the prices are slightly higher: ·         Miniket rice: Tk 84-85 per kg ·         BR-28, BR-29: Tk 65-68 per kg ·         Swarna: Tk 56-58 per kg ·         Nazirshail: Tk 80-85 per kg ·         Basmati: Tk 95-100 per kg ·         Aromatic rice (Chinigura): Tk 140 per kg Rojab Ali, a wholesaler, stated, "We are selling rice at the same prices as before. The prices have not increased yet." However, he acknowledged that the supply of rice is currently low, and the market may remain unstable until new rice enters the market. He also pointed out that imported rice has not yet arrived, making it unlikely for prices to decrease in the near future. Ali emphasized that the rice market's instability would persist until the syndicate controlling the market is broken. To address the rising rice prices, the government had previously withdrawn import and regulatory duties on rice in two phases, effective from October 20 and November 1. The decision aimed to increase supply and ensure that rice prices remained affordable for the common people. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) had expected these measures to reduce rice prices by at least Tk 9.60 per kilogram. Two ships carrying rice from India and Myanmar reach Ctg port According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the average daily per capita rice consumption in the country is 328.9 grams. In urban areas, the daily consumption per capita is slightly lower at 284.7 grams. This consumption pattern requires a total of 2.6 crore tons of rice annually for the country's population of 170 million. Bangladesh produced over 4 crore tons of rice in the fiscal year 2023-2024. As of December 19, the Food Ministry reported that various food warehouses across the country held stocks of 744,000 tons of rice, 448,000 tons of wheat, and over 4,000 tons of paddy.  

The government will start open market sale (OMS) of rice at Tk 30 per kg from February 1 across the country, ahead of Ramadan. Food ministry issued a notice in this regard on Tuesday. The government took the decision to ensure rice at an affordable price for low-income people at the upazila level. Rice will be sold through OMS at a rate of 3 metric tons per day in each of the 401 upazilas across 61 districts and 1 metric ton per day in each of the 23 upazilas in 3 hill districts, covering a total of 424 upazilas through 848 distribution centers, it said. Record Aman harvest, yet rice prices soar: Who's to blame? Besides, under the OMS (General) program, 1 metric ton rice will be sold daily in 906 centers in Dhaka metropolitan area, district municipalities, 8 city corporations, and 4 labor-intensive districts (Dhaka, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, and Gazipur).  

The government will import rice, fertiliser and diesel and procure sugar and lentil from local suppliers to meet the domestic demands. Advisors’ Council Committee on Government Purchase (ACCGP) in a meeting on Tuesday, with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair, approved a number of proposals in this regard. Following the meeting, the Finance Adviser said the committee approved the proposals in order to ensure steady flow of supply of essential commodities like rice, sugar, lentil, fertiliser and fuels. "We'll try to ensure smooth flow of supply in the market during the Ramadan… Even until the end of the coming Ramadan. Not only the supply, there needs to be strict monitoring as well,”he told reporters. Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), under the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, will import 130,000 MT of diesel from India. Indian Numaligarh Refinery Limited will supply the bulk diesel at a cost of Tk 1137.96 crore. As per the proposals approved by the ACCGP, the Food Directorate, under the Ministry of Food, will import 100,000 Metric Tons of white rice (Atop Rice) from Vietnam on a G-to-G basis. Read: Bangladesh to import 100,000mt of rice from India and Pakistan Vietnam Southern Food Corporation (VINAFOOD II) will supply the bulk rice at a cost of Tk 578.58 crore, with per MT at $474.25. Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), under the Ministry of Agriculture, will import 30,000 MT of TSP fertiliser from OCP Nutricrops of Morocco under a state-level agreement at a cost of Tk 161.04 crore, with per MT at $440. Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), under the Commerce Ministry, will procure 10,000 MT of sugar through a local open tender. City Sugar Industries Ltd will supply the bulk sugar at a cost of Tk 115.42 crore with per kg at Tk 115.42. TCB will also procure 10,000 MT of lentil through local open tender. Read more: Government to import rice, LNG to meet domestic demand Sheikh Agro Food Industries will supply the bulk lentil at a cost of Tk 98.45 crore with per kg at Tk 98.45.

Chittagong Port has received 22,000 metric tonnes of Atap rice from Myanmar, transported by the MV Golden Star vessel. The rice consignment, imported on a government-to-government (G2G) basis, marks the first shipment of its kind under the current interim government, said the Ministry of Food in a media release issued on Friday (Jan 17). Bangladesh to import 100,000mt of rice from India and Pakistan It said samples from the shipment will undergo physical testing before unloading begins and all necessary arrangements have already been made to ensure a smooth process. This shipment follows a separate agreement between Bangladesh and Pakistan to import rice. On January 14, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the Food Ministry between the Directorate General of Food and Pakistan’s Trading Corporation (TCP). Record Aman harvest, yet rice prices soar: Who's to blame? Abdul Khalek, Director General of the Directorate General of Food, and Syed Rafi Bashir Shah, Chairman of TCP, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations. According to sources at the Directorate General of Food, the procurement process will commence following approval from the government’s purchase committee. Shipments from Pakistan are expected to begin arriving by February. Consignment of 2,450 metric tonnes of Indian rice arrives at Darshana Port The Food Ministry stated in its release that the MoU is anticipated to stabilise the domestic rice market while fostering economic and trade relations between the two countries. "This agreement is expected to open a new chapter in strengthening bilateral ties and ensuring food security," the statement said.

Acknowledging the suffering of general people due to rice price hike, Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin has said that the government cut a 60 percent duty on rice import to keep the local market stable. He said this while talking to reporters after a meeting with his Turkey counterpart Prof Dr Ömer Bolat at the Secretariat on Thursday. Asked about the preparedness ahead of the Ramadan to keep commodities at tolerable levels, he said, “We are prepared overall with the Ramadan and taking several initiatives on the rice market at this moment. We are relaxing the import while the duty on rice import was about 63 percent; we have reduced it to 3 percent.” The Ministry of Food has been importing several lakh tonnes of rice from India, Pakistan and Myanmar, said the adviser. Bashir Uddin assured that there would be no crisis of rice till April as a full season of Aman was going on now. There has been no inconsistency of any product so far. Read: Government aims to stabilize rice market, ensure trader support: Commerce Adviser Seeking cooperation from the reporters to take actions against syndicates who manipulate the rice market, he said that there was no crisis of the rice market now but the rice price hiked slightly due to the weather, flood and other issues. Warning of strict action against the manipulators, he hoped that the rice market would be stable soon. He said distribution of rice to 63 lakh families who hold TCB smart cards would begin this week and 50 lakh families would also get rice at lower price under the Food-friendly Programme. Replying to a query, adviser Bashir Uddin said they scrapped 37 lakh smart cards due to corruption as one more member from the same family managed cards through forgery. Read more: Government to import rice, LNG to meet domestic demand "We want to add another 37 lakh cards. If it’s possible to increase it from one crore by bringing transparency in procurement and marketing, we will do that too,” he said.

The government is committed to making business processes easier and providing full support to traders, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said on Tuesday. His remarks came during a meeting on rice stock and import situations at the Ministry of Commerce. “Any problems faced by traders will be addressed promptly,” the adviser assured. The meeting was attended by Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder along with key stakeholders. Bashir Uddin highlighted the government's focus on tackling the price disparity between wholesale and retail rice markets, which has drawn public and industry concern. “We aim to identify the root cause of this disparity and implement solutions for a stable market environment,” he said. While prices of most products have decreased, rice prices have seen a marginal rise. The adviser expressed optimism that rice prices would stabilize soon. No change in duties until Ramadan ends: Finance Adviser Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder provided an update on the country’s food stock, which currently exceeds 1.2 million tonnes. Additionally, 100,000 tonnes of rice are expected to arrive from Myanmar this month as part of the government’s diversified import strategy. The government is procuring rice from multiple neighboring countries under Government-to-Government (G2G) agreements to avoid over-reliance on a single source, Majumder said. He also discussed ongoing measures to support low-income families, including the distribution of rice through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and the Open Market Sale (OMS) program. “Fifty thousand families are receiving 30 kg of rice each under the food-friendly program,” he noted. Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank Md Habibur Rahman announced that banks have been instructed to extend full cooperation in opening Letters of Credit (LCs) for food imports. The meeting was attended by high-ranking officials, including Food Ministry Secretary Md Masudul Hasan, Tariff Commission Chairman Dr. Moinul Khan, Commerce Ministry Secretary Md Abdur Rahim Khan, TCB Chairman Brigadier General Md Mostafa Iqbal, and rice importer Aditya Majumdar.

While the prices of winter vegetables have decreased in Khulna, that of essential items such as rice, lentils, edible oil, chicken, and beef have surged, creating challenges for low- and middle-income consumers. Prices of all varieties of winter vegetables have dropped by Tk 8-10 per kilogram. However, despite regular monitoring and raids by the Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection, edible oil, chicken, beef, rice, and eggs remain expensive due to price manipulation by unscrupulous traders. Rice prices have seen a sharp increase. As of Friday, coarse rice (Swarna) was selling at Tk 54 per kilogram, Atash Balam at Tk 65, fine Miniket at Tk 75, lower-quality Miniket at Tk 65, Basmati at Tk 75-76, and Kalijira at Tk 120. In contrast, one and a half months ago, coarse rice was Tk 45-46, Miniket was Tk 70, and Kalijira ranged from Tk 110-115, reflecting an increase of Tk 5-6 per kilogram. Chicken prices have also soared. Broiler chicken was selling at Tk 200 per kilogram, layer chicken at Tk 340, cock chicken at Tk 320, Sonali chicken at Tk 320, and local chicken at Tk 470. Within two weeks, these prices have climbed beyond the purchasing power of many consumers, particularly those with limited incomes. Beef prices remain steep, selling at Tk 700-750 per kilogram in both urban and rural markets. Despite fines imposed during raids by mobile courts, beef prices have not decreased, drawing criticism from consumers. Read: Prices of meat, chicken, green chilli and vegetables still high despite falling demand The price of edible oil has surged again. Five-liter bottles of soybean oil were sold at Tk 875, or Tk 175 per liter. Loose soybean oil was priced at Tk 195 per liter, while super oil ranged from Tk 178-179 per liter. A week ago, five-liter bottles of soybean oil were sold at Tk 860, loose soybean oil at Tk 190, and super oil at Tk 180 per liter. Lentil prices, however, have remained stable. Fine lentils were priced at Tk 140 per kilogram, while coarse lentils sold for Tk 110. Sugar prices have slightly dropped. White sugar was selling at Tk 125 per kilogram, and packaged brown sugar at Tk 140. Previously, they were priced at Tk 140 and Tk 150, respectively. Egg prices remain high. Broiler eggs were priced at Tk 46 per dozen for red eggs and Tk 44-48 for white eggs in urban and rural areas. In contrast, vegetable prices have dropped significantly. New potatoes were priced at Tk 60 per kilogram, old potatoes at Tk 40, local onions at Tk 70, Kalikata onions at Tk 40, Indian onions at Tk 50, local garlic at Tk 240, and Chinese garlic at Tk 220. Cauliflower was sold at Tk 30, cabbage at Tk 20, turnips at Tk 30, winter beans at Tk 20, green chilies at Tk 60-80, eggplants at Tk 40-50, tomatoes at Tk 60, pumpkins at Tk 30, papayas at Tk 30, red spinach and Malabar spinach at Tk 20 per bunch, and bananas at Tk 20 per dozen. Two weeks ago, prices were notably higher. New potatoes were Tk 100, old potatoes Tk 70, local onions Tk 100, Kalikata onions Tk 60, cauliflower and cabbage at Tk 40, turnips at Tk 40, winter beans at Tk 40, green chilies at Tk 70-75, eggplants at Tk 60, tomatoes at Tk 100, pumpkins at Tk 40, papayas at Tk 30, spinach at Tk 35–40, and bananas at Tk 30 per dozen. Read more: Prices of egg, chicken and fish up while vegetables stable at higher rate Ripan Howlader, director of Apan Poultry Farm in Rupsha Traffic Mor, confirmed that chicken prices have risen significantly. Consumers like Hafizur Rahman, a college teacher, expressed concern about the high prices of essentials despite the drop in vegetable prices. He urged more frequent raids by mobile courts to stabilize prices. Consumers continue to demand stricter enforcement to control prices and ease the burden on low- and middle-income households.

The government has approved the procurement of rice, sugar, lentil, and fertilizer to address domestic demands and stabilize markets. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Advisors Council Committee on Government Purchase (ACCGP), chaired by Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed. TCB to procure soybean oil, sugar, lentil to sell through OMS Rice Procurement: Imports from Myanmar and India Under proposals from the Commerce Ministry, the Food Directorate will import: * 100,000 metric tons (MT) of white rice from Myanmar through a government-to-government (G-to-G) contract. The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) will supply the rice at a total cost of Tk 618 crore, with each MT priced at $515. * 50,000 MT of non-Basmati boiled rice through an international open tender. Indian supplier Mondol Stone Product Pvt will provide the rice at a total cost of Tk 280.62 crore, with each MT priced at $467.70. Sugar and Lentil Procurement by TCB The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), under the Commerce Ministry, will procure: * 5,000 MT of sugar through a local open tender. City Sugar Industries will supply the sugar at a cost of Tk 59.21 crore, with each kilogram priced at Tk 118.43. * 10,000 MT of lentils through a local open tender. Payel Traders will supply the lentils at a total cost of Tk 96.69 crore, with each kilogram priced at Tk 96.69. Fertilizer Imports by BCIC The Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), under the Industries Ministry, will import 60,000 MT of urea fertilizer, divided between two contracts: * 30,000 MT of bulk granular urea fertilizer from Saudi Arabia’s SABIC Agri-nutrients Company at a cost of Tk 123.23 crore, with each MT priced at $342.33. * 30,000 MT of bagged prilled urea fertilizer from Qatar Energy Marketing at a cost of Tk 133.08 crore, with each MT priced at $369.67.Govt to procure 51,973 MT paddy from Khulna amid bumper harvest Additionally, the BCIC will import 30,000 MT of rock phosphate through an international open tender. UAE-based Zentrade FZE will supply the product at a cost of Tk 82.62 crore, with each MT priced at $229.50. Govt to procure 55,000 MT soybean oil for OMS

The government is considering reducing the import duty on rice in an effort to stabilise rice prices in the country. Sources at the finance, commerce, and food ministries indicate that this decision is being contemplated due to recent floods that severely impacted paddy cultivation. Major agricultural areas, including Chattogram, Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, and Cumilla, were flooded, and currently, Rangpur, Sherpur, Lalmonirhat, Netrokona, and Mymensingh are facing flood. These regions are vital rice producers for the country. Read: Price hikes: Seven businesses fined in market monitoring drive As a result, rice prices have risen significantly in the local market, causing difficulties for consumers. According to commerce ministry sources, the price of various types of rice has increased by 8-10 percent recently. “In this situation, the government aims to control prices and stabilize the market through rice imports. An initiative is underway to reduce the import duty on rice,”said a finance ministry official wishing not to be named. Currently, rice imports are subject to a 62.50 percent customs duty. The food ministry has requested the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to lower this duty to 5 percent. A letter was sent by Joint Secretary Lutfar Rahman to the NBR on September 29. The letter highlighted that the food ministry is working to ensure food security through improved management and the provision of safe and nutritious food. To support food security and incentivize farmers, a target of 500,000 tons of paddy and 14,700,000 tons of rice has been set for the current Boro season. By August 31, 296,970 tons of paddy and 1,255,497 tons of rice had been collected. Currently, the government’s storage holds 12,64,740 tons of rice and 4,63,928 tons of wheat, totaling 1,754,199 tons of food grains. However, after the floods, rice prices have risen sharply at the production, wholesale, and retail levels. In response, the Ministry of Food, Directorate of Food, National Directorate of Consumer Protection, and local administrations have increased market surveillance to control prices. Fair market monitoring and operations against illegal stockpiling are ongoing, but food grain prices have continued to rise. Read more: Interim Government committed to curbing essential commodity prices by breaking syndicates: Mahfuj Alam The food ministry also noted that recent floods in 14 districts have caused severe damage to Aoush, Aman seedlings, and Aman seedbeds. The demand for rice, coupled with reduced supply, could push prices even higher. Additionally, India’s wheat export ban, reduced wheat imports due to the Russia-Ukraine war, and rising global food prices have contributed to the surge in grain prices. In this context, stabilising the rice market and increasing the government’s safety stock is essential. Private-level rice imports may also be necessary. The government has already received approval to import 500,000 tons of rice. Although the global rice market is currently priced higher than the domestic market, reducing the existing rice import duty from 62.50 percent to 5 percent is seen as a necessary measure to maintain price stability. Currently, rice imports are subject to a 25 percent customs duty, 25 percent regulatory duty, 5 percent advance income tax, 5 percent advance tax, 1 percent insurance, 1 percent landing charge, and 0.5 percent DF VAT. Read more: 12 kg LPG cylinder price hiked by Tk 35 India recently reduced its rice export duty from 20 percent to 10 percent. If Bangladesh reduces its import duty to 5 percent, a combined duty of 15 percent will apply to rice imports from India. The food ministry’s letter emphasised that this reduction in duty will encourage importers to meet domestic demand. The ministry has requested the NBR to take the necessary steps to reduce the duty on non-basmati parboiled rice and non-scented atap rice for both public and private imports.