The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) will soon begin selling rice in 5-kg and 10-kg packs under the Bharat brand. This too will be an effort to reduce the prices of rice in the open market.
The best quality rice is being sold for ₹75-80/kg in the open market and at even ₹90/kg via online platforms. NAFED will sell both boiled and raw rice at ₹29/kg through this initiative.
Koyambedu Wholesale Food Grains Merchant Association’s R. Punnaiappan said retail prices were quite high despite a reduction in wholesale prices. “Raw rice prices are higher than that of boiled rice. In retail, they cannot reduce prices like in wholesale due to the presence of old stock. We hear that paddy was being sent by road to neighbouring countries, and there is a shortage of new crop.”
