Narinjara News, 7 August 2022

Theprice of rice grains  in Rakhine State has gone up in the recent past andit has severely affected the entire Rakhine population under the militaryregime.

InSittwe, the market price of Porsan Mwebrand ricewas between Kyats 42,000 and 52,000 per bag (48 kilogram) last month, but todayit has risen to Kyats 45,000 and 57,000.

A Sri Dom brand rice bag cost Kyats  36,000 last month and  now it is up to Kyats40,000 per bag. One bag of Mano Thukha brand rice used to cost Kyats33,000 a few weeks back and now it is Kyats 35,000. In summary, every brand ofrice has increased its price by 10 percent.

Theprice of a bag of rice in Yangon has risen from Kyats 70,000 to around 100,000.As a large volume of rice has been sent to Yangon from Rakhine State, its pricehas increased there too.

Arice shop owner in Sittwe said that if the Shwebo brand rice is priced at Kyats 50,000 per bag in Rakhine State, the traders in Yangonsell it as high as Kyats 60,000.

A bagof Porsan Mwe rice cost  Kyats 50,000 in Min Bya township last month, but it has now increased upto Kyats 60,000, said Ma Khin Than Nwqi, a local rice shop owner.

Buthidaung,Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships, where the price of riceremains always high, have now witnessed abrupt increases in price inrecent days.

Timehas been cruelling to the common people as the price of rice has goneup. Most of them can not earn even Kyats 100,000 per month and it emergesas a difficult job for them to survive. If the military council does not takeinterest in resolving the issue, many poor families have to starve in thecoming days.