El Niño effect: traders hoard rice stocks triggering rise in rice prices in Khammam

Rice prices have increased sharply across the erstwhile Khammam district amid reduced paddy cultivation, lower rainfall and water shortages linked to Super El Niño. Traders expect prices to rise further, while consumers seek government intervention to curb inflationary pressures

Khammam: As Super El Niño is causing global weather disruptions and straining India’s monsoon and agriculture, rice prices are skyrocketing across the erstwhile Khammam district.

It may be noted that the State government is discouraging farmers from taking up paddy cultivation because of reduced rainfall, drought-like conditions in the State and lower availability of water in reservoirs.

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According to officials, paddy has been sown on less than one lakh acres so far, out of a potential area of 4.67 lakh acres in Khammam and Kothagudem districts. With the government’s strict refusal to supply water from reservoirs, as well as restrictions on the use of groundwater, the prospects for paddy cultivation look bleak and there could be a fall in rice production.

Millers and wholesale traders, taking advantage of the situation, are hoarding rice stocks as a precautionary measure. This is impacting rice prices. There has been a 10 to 20 per cent increase in the prices of all fine varieties of rice in the past couple of months.

According to wholesale trader Venkata Sai, the prices of old fine rice varieties such as Jaisriram, HMT and Samba Masoori have increased to Rs 6,000 per quintal from Rs 5,000 per quintal two months ago.

New Jaisriram and HMT rice is now being sold at Rs 5,400 per quintal, compared with Rs 4,400 to Rs 4,500 per quintal two months ago. New Samba Masoori (BPT), which was sold at Rs 4,000 two months ago, is now being sold at Rs 5,200 per quintal, Sai told Telangana Today.

Likewise, Jaisriram and HMT raw rice, which cost Rs 6,000 two months ago, is now being sold at Rs 7,000 per quintal. In retail sales, there could be an increase of Rs 4 to Rs 5 per kilogram of rice, he explained.

The public is worried as traders indicate a further increase in rice prices.

“The government should intervene and control rice prices for the benefit of poor and middle-class families, who are already troubled by the rising inflation rate,” demanded BRS leader Bathula Srinivas.

According to some traders, the government’s move to restrict the bonus to six to eight types of fine variety seeds is contributing to the price rise, as there has been a fall in the production of fine rice.