Extra carrying cost for crossing Jamuna adds to rice prices
Jasim Uddin Khan
Additional cost for carrying over the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge now adds to the rice prices that had already gone up due to lower domestic production and diminishing import at private level due to higher international price this fiscal year (FY).The Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority (JMBA) has imposed a limit of 150 sacks for the rice-carrying trucks crossing the bridge instead of earlier 200 sacks for about a month. But as the truck owners are charging the same fare from the traders, consumers have to pay around 10 per cent in excess for the additional carrying cost. Immediately after inauguration of the country's longest Jamuna bridge in early 2004, a fracture was found on it but the JMBA allowed heavily loaded trucks. Seventy per cent of rice in the capital come from Naogaon, Natore and Kushtia areas through the Jamuna bridge and the traders have to pay Tk 7,600 for each truck from Naogaon and Natore and Tk 9,500 for each truck from Kushtia, sources said. Meanwhile, rice import has decreased by 25 per cent during the July-December period this FY compared with the same period of the previous FY. International price of rice is rather high this year, said rice importers in Noapara and Chittagong. The current rice price is US$307 per tonne in the Bangkok market while the price is US$270 to $280 per tonne in Myanmar and $250 to $260 per tonne in India while the price was $225 to $235 per tonne in Bangkok and $200 to $210 per tonne in India during the same period in last FY, importers said. "We hardly get any profit by importing rice at higher prices. We need government support or import subsidy if the same level of price continues," Fashiul Alam, a Chittagong-based importer, told The Daily Star yesterday. Annual consumption of rice in the country is 28 million tonne of which 10 per cent is imported from abroad. In 2005-06 FY, 26.53 million tonne rice was produced while experts forecast 5 per cent production fall this FY. Visiting Babu Bazar and Badamtoli areas in the capital yesterday, this correspondent found 10 to 15 per cent increase in rice price at wholesale markets and 15 to 20 per cent increase at retail level. The coarse variety of rice was sold at Tk 18 to Tk 22 per kg and fine variety at Tk 24 to Tk 26 per kg at Babu Bazar wholesale markets. Prices of essential products especially pepper, egg, vegetables and powder milk have also risen significantly. Pepper price has risen by Tk 10 to Tk 12 a kg while price of eggs by Tk 4 for each four eggs in a week. Powder milk price has also risen by Tk 10 per kg compared with the last week.
| 
