HYDERABAD: There seems to be no immediate respite for people from soaring prices. Even as the Government claims to have been making all efforts to bring down the prices, the cost of super fine quality rice has shot up to Rs 38- 42 in retail market and the price of tur dal (red gram) has reached an all-time-high of Rs 98-102 per kg.
Prices of rice, pulses, sugar, oils and other commodities are still beyond the reach of the common man. As per market estimations, the prices of all essential commodities increased by about 10-20 per cent during the past one month. The price rise is more in case of the best varieties of commodities.
They are expected to increase further as the crop supplies continue to look grim. With khariff crop not yielding the expected produce, the prices are likely to go up further until the rabi produce is released into the market.
Hyderabadis are fond of Sona Masoori (super fine quality) rice variety which is available under various brands like Kurnool Masoori, Nellore Masoori, BPT or Bapatla Masoori. The Sona Masoori which was priced at Rs 32 per kg just a month ago, is now being sold at Rs 38-42 per kg based on the brand and traders (retail shop or supermarkets).
The price of another super fine varitety known as HMT is nothing less than Rs 45 per kg even as fine quality rice is costing anywhere between Rs 30 and Rs 33.
``Though the price of Sona Masoori is about Rs 34-36 per kg at rice mills in districts, the price is rising upto Rs 38-42 per kg when they reach us,’’ said L Venkateswara Rao, a retailer.
The price rise is being attributed to low cultivation of paddy where only 18.3 lakh hectares were brought under paddy cultivation against normal area of 25.53 lakh hectares.
Further, the drought followed by floods have damaged crops in another two lakh hectares reducing the khariff yield and resulting in price rise.
Traders say that the soaring prices do not show any indications of coming down in the near future. For instance, the much debated price of tur dal is at alltime high of Rs 98 per kg in retail market and Rs 102 per kg in selected supermarkets. Tur dal was priced at Rs 92 during last month. The price has been increasing steadily notwithstanding the market intervention programmes of the State Government.
And this is not all.
The moong dal (green gram) and urad dal (black gram) are priced between Rs 80 and Rs 82, while the price of chana dal (horse gram) hovers around Rs 47 and Rs 50.
Sugar, which is the most sought after commodity during the festive seasons, has doubled from Rs 19 per kg to Rs 40 per kg within just four months. With even sugarcane production registering a fall, the price continues to hover anywhere between Rs 38-42. Edible oils were the only commodity that brought some respite to the grocery budgets this year. The oil prices too shot up. Palm oil is sold at Rs 45 per litre, while groundnut oil is priced at Rs 66-68 and sunflower oil is available for Rs 55-58 in the retail markets.
``Preliminary estimates by the Union Ministry of Agriculture suggest that as compared to last year, production of kharif rice and oilseeds may decline significantly.
The rains and subsequent floods in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Karnataka seem to have had an impact on both the wholesale and retail market,’’ felt a senior official. Traders fear that this might soon translate into rise in prices of certain essential commodities.
dileep@expressbuzz.com
