Rising rice prices a kitchen table issue in Arakan State

By DMG 19 Mar 2022

DMG Newsroom
19 March 2022, Sittwe

Rice prices, along with other basic commodity prices, have continued to rise in Arakan State since the military coup in February 2021, leaving many people struggling to make ends meet as the staple grain becomes increasingly unaffordable.

The wholesale price of one bag of paw hsan hmwe (Myanmar pearl rice) has risen in price from K40,000 to K50,000, said Ko Hla Aung, owner of San Mee Thit rice sales centre in the Arakan State capital Sittwe.

“One bag of paw hsan hmwe is sold for K50,000. Retailers sell at more than K50,000 for a sack of paw hsan hmwe. The prices of other rices have also risen,” he said, adding that a bag of lower quality rice known locally as thiridon had risen from about K30,000 to more than K36,000.

Rice prices had not markedly risen in recent years, making the recent uptick that much harder to swallow, he added.

“Prices are rising almost across the board. Now that the price of rice has gone up, we have a problem. Now that rice prices have risen, odd-job workers could all starve to death. If possible, we want the rice price to be normal,” said Daw Nu Chay, a resident of Sittwe.

Daw Aye Than Shwe, a restaurant owner in the Arakan State capital, said the rising price of rice has also made it difficult for restaurateurs.

“One bag of paw hsan hmwe has risen from K40,000 to K50,000. The prices of fuel and charcoal have also gone up. It is not even worth it for us to sell food,” she said.

The prices of cooking oil, gasoline and other commodities have also risen steadily since the coup, putting strain on household budgets and businesses across Arakan State.