Rice prices rise on supply concerns: Consumer Affairs Ministry

24 Aug 2022 Evaluate

The Consumer Affairs Ministry in its data has showed that after wheat, rice prices are firming up on reports of supply concerns with the all India average retail price of the grain ruling higher by 6.31 per cent at Rs 37.7 per kg compared to the year-ago period. The All India average retail price of wheat has risen by over 22 per cent to Rs 31.04 per kg as of August 22 compared to Rs 25.41 per kg in the year-ago period.

The rising trend in the retail price of rice is due to reports of likely drop in the country's production in view of 8.25 per cent lag in paddy sowing till last week in the ongoing kharif (summer) season. Considering the current lag in the paddy coverage, experts said the country's total rice production is likely to be lower than the set target of 112 million tonne for 2022-23 kharif season (July-June). Still, the increase in the retail prices of rice is not higher than in the case of wheat yet as the Centre has a huge stock of 396 lakh tonne and can use that to intervene, in case of a sharp rise.

As per the agriculture ministry's data, paddy has been sown in 343.70 lakh hectare till August 18 of this kharif season when compared with 374.63 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Less area was reported in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and few other states due to shortfall in monsoon rainfall. Paddy is the main kharif crop, sowing of which begins with the onset of southwest monsoon in June. Over 80 per cent of the country's total rice production comes from the kharif season.

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