Wholesale and retail rice prices have been stable over the past months, thanks to a good harvest and sufficient public stocks. As of 17 September 2012, government stock of rice and wheat totalled some 1.5 million tons, 0.2 million tons higher than at the same time last year.In line with international trends, the wholesale price of wheat has increased by 9 per cent from July to August and by 7 per cent from August to September. However, the retail price of wheat flour remains unchanged. There are speculations that price of soybean oil may rise in the coming months due to the increase in soybean prices in the global market. Domestic fuel prices have been stable since December 2011. Based on the wage data collected by WFP, male agricultural labourers’ purchasing capacity in the vulnerable northern region of Bangladesh was 9 kg rice per day in July and August. This is 18 per cent higher than a year ago, mostly due to lower rice prices. Terms of trade are expected to change during the in September and October lean season, when both daily wage rates and work opportunities decline.
October 2012