No need to worry about rice–Rice/Paddy Association Chair
Instability in US dollar exchange rate has caused rice price hike, but people need not worry about rice because there is enough supply of rice, said the Chairman of the Rice/Paddy Association.
In fact, only the price of high-quality rice has risen up like Shwebo Paw Hsan. As for the rather rough rice consumed by the people of low income, the price is still stable, said an official from the Rice/Paddy Association.
“These days, the price of the kind of rice consumed by the people of low stratum has not risen remarkably”, remarked U Ye Min Aung, the chairman of the Rice/Paddy Association.
Currently in the domestic rice market, the price of Shwebo Paw Hsan, the high-quality rice, has risen from Kyats 5,000 to 8,000 per bag. He has attributed the price hike to instability of the USD exchange rate, the difference between demand and supply, higher production costs and soaring costs of inputs.
But there are other kinds of rice the price of which has risen up to between Ks 7,000 and Ks 8,000, added the association chairman.
The highest quality rice in the name of Shwebo Paw Hsan is being sold for Ks 77,000 to Ks 80,000 per bag whereas second class Shwebo Paw Hsan is being sold for Ks 74,000 per bag and Pathein Paw Hsan is being sold for Ks 63,000 per bag with variance in price depending on the location.
The special Zeya rice consumed by the low-income earning people is being sold for Ks 35,500 while Hsin Thwe Latt, Ks 43,500 in Yangon Market, it is learnt.
“The price of Zeya Special has risen to more than Ks 2,000, and that of Hsin Shwe Thwe has also risen the same amount. But the price of Shwebo Paw Hsan has risen up to Ks 10,000. People will suffer if the rice price continues to go up, ” said Ma Toe Bandar from Toe Toe Rice Trading in Shwe Pyi Tha township.
However, the chairman of Myanmar Rice/Paddy Entrepreneurs Federation said that the price of the rough rice consumed by the majority of the people has not increased considerably. Additionally, there is, he said, sufficient supply of rice, and so, there is no reason to worry about the rice.
