Local rice price hits Rs 38 per Kg in market
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 28 2018: Just as the prices of all essential commodities have been soaring rapidly, the price of local rice (Meitei Cheng) which is the State's staple food has touched an unprecedented Rs 38 per Kg at Imphal and Rs 42 per Kg in hill districts.

A random survey carried out by The Sangai Express which covered shopkeepers as well as consumers revealed that Super Fine rice is sold at Rs 25 per Kg at Imphal and greater Imphal areas but the price of local rice of higher grade has hit Rs 37/38 per Kg at Imphal and Rs 42 per Kg in Ukhrul and other hill districts.

Local rice of lower quality is sold at Rs 33/34 per Kg.

Rice, being the staple food of the State, the unprecedented price hike has become a big economic burden on the masses.

Pinched hard by the unchecked price hike of all essential commodities, many sections of the society have been questioning if there is no authority to regulate prices of goods.

With most of the people switching to Super Fine rice or mixture of Super Fine rice and local rice for health reasons, the price of local rice is expected to come down.

But contrary to the expectation, the price of local rice has been soaring to an unprecedented level.

If the trend continues, local rice would not affordable to a large section of the society.

As it is paddy harvesting time, it's time for farmers to sell off their paddy stocks harvested last season which means the price of local rice should come down.

But the price of local rice has been soaring rather than declining even though it is harvest season.

Some people have expressed keen desire for the Government to look into the unreasonable or unnatural continuous hike in the price of local rice.

It has been reported that vast tracts of paddy fields could not flower this time due to shortage of water and Agriculture Department has already stated that the State's total production would be lower this year as compared to previous years.

Sources said that acute scarcity of fertilizers when they were needed most is another reason for the decline in paddy yield.

The problem was further compounded by attacks by pests when paddy started flowering.

Farmers are generally economically backward and they have been struggling hard to earn their livelihood and send their children to schools/colleges out of the income earned from paddy cultivation.

It is feared that most farmers would face a more difficult situation this year because of the reduced paddy yield caused by shortage of water, scarcity of fertilizers when they were needed most and attack by pests.

Given this situation, there is deep apprehension that the price of paddy/rice may jump even higher next year.

The Agriculture Department has already went on record that the State's total paddy production may be lower by 25 per cent as compared to previous years.

Meanwhile, many people have appealed to the Government to ensure that subsidised rice given under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) are distributed to the beneficiaries regularly.

As per the NFSA guidelines, each beneficiary should be given 5 Kgs of rice per month at Rs 3 per Kg (priority households) and 35 Kg per month to each AAY beneficiary household.

The State's total monthly quota of NFSA rice is 1,24,610 quintals and these include 1,02,350 quintals of priority rice and 22,260 quintals of AAY rice.

Although it is claimed that CAF&PD Department allocates NFSA rice to different districts in time and district administrations submit utilisation certificates in time, it remains a big question whether the NFSA rice is received by the masses in time or not.

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