23 February 2024
After the increase in the price of fine rice, the price of coarse rice also increased, and the price of coarse rice, which previously did not exceed 4,000 kyats, has now risen to over 5,000 kyats, according to the rice retail market. Even Shwebo Pawsan rice, the main type of domestically consumed fine rice, which is said to be working to prevent further price increases, increased in price last December to 210,000 kyats per bag (around 8,600 kyats per country).
Pawsan rice, which is mainly consumed locally without being exported abroad, was only more than 60,000 kyats per bag until last January 2022, and now it has risen to nearly 210,000 kyats, an increase of about 250 percent in two years. Therefore, due to the increase in the price of domestically fine rice, more and more consumers have switched to cheaper coarse rice, and as demand has increased, the price of fine rice has also increased. Previously, the price of coarse rice had risen to more than 5,000 kyat, which was not more than 4,000 kyat per Pyi (2 1/4 qt).
To stabilize the price of rice and for the basic people to purchase rice at a reasonable price, through rice retail shops in 18 townships of Yangon Region, Aemahta rice is being sold at 3,300 kyats per person, under the leadership of the Myanmar Rice Federation, starting on February 16.
