Bengal Consumers Get Relief as Rice & Edible Oil Prices Drop

17-Sep-2025 01:27 PM

Kolkata. Consumers in West Bengal are expected to find relief due to a drop in the retail price of rice and edible oils ahead of Navratri and Durga Puja, the most important festivals in the country.

According to trade analysts, prices of the most popular rice varieties have declined in the retail market, while wholesale prices of edible oils have also declined, and the impact will be visible in the retail market by the end of this month.

In fact, Bangladesh had planned to import 1 million tons of rice this year, which caused its price to rise in Bengal. However, rice purchases from India have been very low so far and there are not many orders, so the rise has now turned into a decline.

Bangladesh typically imports high-quality rice from India, while African countries prefer to purchase broken rice. Due to weak demand from Bangladesh, prices of popular rice varieties like Miniket, Swarna, and Sona Masoor have declined in West Bengal. Similarly, the retail price of high-quality aromatic Govindabhog rice has also declined from  Rs. 220 per kg to Rs.160 per kg.

As for edible oils, prices of most varieties have softened or decreased in the wholesale market. Typically, demand and consumption of edible oils increase during the festive season, but due to government policies, consumers may find edible oil available at slightly lower prices this time.

According to a leading industry analyst, mustard oil prices have declined, and imported edible oil prices are also softening. This is likely to impact soybean oil, sunflower oil, and palm oil.

According to analysts, edible oil prices have been fluctuating for the past 6-7 months, led by mustard oil. Now that mustard oil prices are showing signs of softening, it is likely to impact the entire edible oil complex.

Retail demand for mustard oil shows no signs of improvement, despite its already overflowing pipeline. There is also sufficient stock of edible oils imported from abroad.