Rice prices rise by up to Rs15 per kg in TN as supplies from neighbouring states dip
Rice prices in Tamil Nadu have risen ₹5–15/kg as supplies from Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh decline. Karnataka’s lower paddy output and reduced arrivals from the Tungabhadra region have tightened supplies, while higher local demand in Andhra Pradesh added pressure. Traders expect prices may stabilise over the next two months.
Madurai: Retail prices of several rice varieties in Tamil Nadu have increased by Rs5 to Rs15 per kg following a decline in supplies from neighbouring states.
A M Vikramaraja, state president of Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peramaippu, said that supplies from Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have declined, thereby increasing retail prices of rice brands across the state. “If the kuruvai cultivation in our state is also not satisfactory, prices will only rise further.”
Explaining the reasons for drop in supplies, A Anbarasan, chairperson of the Food and Agro Panel of Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA), said production in Karnataka’s Tungabhadra belt was affected.
Repair works on shutters of the Tungabhadra reservoirs had forced authorities to release stored water, affecting the December crop. Lower rainfall in the subsequent months also hit the April crop. As a result, paddy arrivals from areas including Gangavathi have fallen, he said.
Andhra Pradesh also recorded a production decline, though the impact was less severe, Anbarasan said. Higher demand for available stocks in the local market has consequently pushed up prices of rice arriving from the state.
B Gowtham, a rice trader in Madurai, said RNR and Deluxe boiled rice, earlier sold at Rs45-Rs50 per kg, are now priced at around Rs60. Ordinary Ponni raw rice has risen from Rs52 to Rs60 per kg at his shop. Idli rice is now selling at around Rs50 per kg.
However, D Gopal, president of a Red Hills paddy mandi association, said such fluctuations were common during the Aadi month in years when the Western Ghats received deficient rainfall. He said production may have been affected by El Nino conditions, but recent rainfall was a positive sign. Prices could stabilise over the next two months and there was no cause for alarm, he said.
Tamil Nadu is not self-sufficient in rice supply. While paddy produced in the state is procured by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) and Food Corporation of India (FCI), the retail market also depends heavily on rice arriving from neighbouring states.
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Source : The Times Of India
