Just as rice from the aman season is reaching the market, the government is allowing imports by the private sector. The imports will satisfy traders' demands, but the country's farmers will lose out. Critics say it will hurt aman prices and also have a negative effect on cultivation in the boro season that has just begun.

A review of government data and the market shows that public rice stocks are at their highest. The aman season that has just ended is providing a good supply of rice: aman production stands at 1 crore 80 lakh tonnes, about 15 lakh tonnes more than last year. Rice production in the last aus season was also good.

Meanwhile, the price of fine rice rose by Tk 2 to Tk 3 a kg last week. Traders are now using that rise to push for imports, and the government has agreed.

Last Sunday, after 2 lakh tonnes of parboiled rice was allocated to 232 firms for private import, the Ministry of Food sent a letter to the commerce secretary asking that import permits be issued to them.

In the letter, the food ministry pointed to an upward trend in the rice market. It said that, according to the Directorate General of Food, a rise in the price of fine rice had recently been observed. Although prices of medium and coarse rice were stable for now, they could follow the rise in fine rice, and there was a risk of the market becoming unstable.

Inquiries suggest traders are seeking a chance to import by suddenly showing an artificial shortage, starting a new game with rice in the middle of the harvest season. Yet rather than taking reasonable steps on the traders' demands in light of the ample supply, the government is opening the way for imports.

Reliable sources in the food ministry say one faction in the Directorate General of Food has been working hard to persuade the food adviser to allow rice imports.

Importing rice in the current situation will hurt the price farmers get for the paddy they grow in the boro season, because the government now holds large stocks and there is a good supply from the aman crop.

Agricultural economist Dr Jahangir Alam told Jago News that the government has enough rice in stock and production is good. "Boro is coming, which is the biggest season for rice production in the country. I see no reason to import rice in such a full season. By suddenly deciding to import, the government is benefiting a particular group."

Md Moniruzzaman, Director (Procurement) of the Directorate General of Food, gave a different explanation for the import permits. He told Jago News that the price of fine rice rose in the market some time ago. "Our fine rice is produced in the boro season, and that is still some way off. That is why imports are needed to keep the price of fine rice under control."

Market data show that over the past week and a half, the price of Zirashail and Shampa Katari, known as fine rice, rose by Tk 2 to Tk 3 a kg. According to the Department of Agricultural Marketing, Zirashail rose 7.69 per cent at retail against a 1.5 per cent rise at wholesale. Shampa Katari rose 5.56 per cent at retail against a 1.19 per cent rise at wholesale.

Rice mill owners and wholesalers say these two varieties are produced in the boro season, which is why supply has fallen and prices have risen a little. The rise has not affected coarse or medium rice, or other fine rice, and the market now has a large supply of aman rice.

Farhad Hossain, general secretary of the Naogaon District Rice Mill Owners' Association, said Zirashail and Shampa Katari prices have risen in the area, but by no more than Tk 2 at the mill gate. No other variety has become dearer; in fact the price of new rice is falling.

Several mill owners said that even if fine rice is imported, it will harm the coming boro season.

The government now holds a record rice stock. Data for 15 January show government stocks of about 21 lakh tonnes of food grains, of which rice accounts for more than 18 lakh 42 thousand tonnes, more than will be used up in various government programmes this fiscal year. In addition, government-to-government imports of more than 5 lakh tonnes of rice are under way this year. The report gives the volume already imported privately as "4 lakh 83 lakh tonnes".

According to the agriculture and food ministries, 1 crore 80 lakh tonnes of rice was produced in the aman season just ended. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 1 crore 65 lakh tonnes of rice was produced in fiscal 2024-25.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.