All major commodity centres will shut down during the long Thingyan holidays.
Dry grocery markets will be suspended. Rice volume delivered to regions outside Yangon dropped significantly.
Traders from regions outside Yangon are stockpiling goods. This being so, the demand goes up in the first week of April. Some are also observing possible price rises on high demand.
However, rice retailers are doing a roaring trade. The price has not changed much.
For the edible oil market, despite inflows of oil from international markets, the price stays on the rise. The delivery order price of palm oil in the Yangon market is K6,450-K6,500 per viss. Majority of the traders who kept the stocks in hand purchased palm oil at above K7,000 per viss before.
There is less chance for the price increase of dry groceries. The prices of onions are around K900 per viss, except for Myittha onions. Potatoes from Sinbyukyun and Aungban areas are priced at around K1,500 per viss. The price of newly harvested Shan garlic is still declining.
The price of chickpeas which are mostly used in charity feasts during the Thingyan Festival is estimated at K4,600-K4,800 per viss in the wholesale market. Yangon market sees a bustling trade of chickpeas.
The prices of sugar, dried chilli pepper, tamarind and jaggery remain unchanged. The demand for sugar jaggery this year is weak, unlike in previous years. The inflation of commodities is usual in the pre-Thingyan Festival, yet this year, the price is quite stable. — TWA/EM
