The leap in rice prices at the consumers’ end reflects the increased price of paddy sold by the farmers. When compounded with the drop in supply due to disasters, the rice price hike is the result, according to several brokers. Md Anisur Rahman, proprietor of Messers Tosiron Automatic Rice mill in Naogoan sadar, said the wholesalers in big cities and brokers who buy rice from the millers are the ones who manipulate the market price. You tell me who can hoard enough rice to manipulate the price,” said Rafiqul Islam, organizing secretary of Babubazar and Badamtoli Wholesale Rice Market Owners’ Association. The market price does not establish that wholesalers and their agents are making a lot of profit.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 31, 2018 20:15 UTC