Nizamabad: Following a shortage, rice prices have been skyrocketing in Nizamabad district over the last few days. Civil supplies and commercial taxes officials have failed to prevent irregularities in the rice business, which has adversely affected prices.
Nizamabad is one of the top districts in Telangana for cultivation of paddy and rice production. Drought conditions over the last two years have affected paddy production in the district. The rice millers have been importing paddy from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
As a result, rice prices of common and fine variety rice are skyrocketing. For instance, new rice, which is not ready to cook, is being sold for '3,600 per quintal. The BPT variety is available for '4,000 per quintal in the retail market. Artificial shortage of rice has also affected prices.
Speaking to DC, KCP Rice Mills owner K. Shravan Kumar, who runs a chain of rice outlets in Nizamabad, said paddy production was affected by 50 per cent in the district. Paddy from other states is stabilising the industry, he said. “The rice price at first sale point is only '29 per kg, but it is available at '39 in the retail market,” he said.
Branded rice mills are unable to supply rice as per the demand in the market. The millers are demanding advance cash to deliver rice against regular business credit system, a retailer said. People are forced to purchase the rice for higher prices in rythu bazaar and open markets for the last few days.
Joint collector A. Ravinder Reddy said paddy cultivation was restricted to 69,000 hectares instead of the normal 1.35 lakh hectares in the district. In view of the shortage of paddy, the government has to depend on millers to procure rice for the public distribution system, he said and added that steps will be taken to stabilise retail prices.
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