Rising rice prices spur anxiety in Visakhapatnam
Retail prices of fine rice varieties in Visakhapatnam have sharply increased by ₹200 to ₹400 per 26 kg bag, causing significant distress for middle- and lower-income households. Consumers and groups attribute the inflation to artificial hoarding and market manipulation by millers, despite no major crop failures. Traders, however, defend the prices by citing surging paddy procurement and transportation costs.
Why it matters
This issue directly impacts the cost of living for a large segment of the population, highlighting economic challenges and potential market inefficiencies that require attention from authorities to ensure food security and affordability. It reflects broader inflationary pressures on essential goods.
Open-market retail prices of staple fine rice varieties in the city have surged sharply over the past few months, causing severe distress among middle- and lower-income households.
Standard 26 kg bags of premium fine rice have escalated by ₹200 to ₹400, crossing the ₹2,000 mark and reaching up to ₹2,200 for popular brands. Varieties like HMT and BPT Sannalu now retail at ₹80 to ₹85 per kg.
K. Suguna from PM Palem noted that running a household has become a daily puzzle, with last year’s ₹1,400 bags now exceeding ₹2,100, fixed-income families struggle to absorb the sudden shock.
Traders and consumer groups attribute the inflation to artificial hoarding and market manipulation by rice millers rather than genuine supply shortfalls. Although regional weather irregularities delayed kharif paddy transplantation across North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, no major crop failures occurred.
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