Thrissur: In addition to the current decrease, market centres indicate that the price of rice will go down further. The wholesale price of low-quality Jaya rice in Perumbavoor is at Rs 38 per kg. This has happened after the scarce Jaya rice, which is most commonly used in Kerala, has started becoming readily available.

The price of the second contender in terms of demand, Matta rice, has also reduced by Rs 3. The price of Jyothi variety of Vadi Matta rice ranges between Rs 49-53, depending on the quality, as of now. Unda Matta is now priced between Rs 38-43, while it was Rs 40-46, a month ago. In Kerala, about 70 percent people consume White Jaya rice and Jyothi Matta.

Jaya rice, which is brought from Andhra Pradesh, started becoming scarce when the government there began stockpiling the goods making it unavailable in the market. Similarly, the export of Jyothi rice from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka added to the price hike in Kerala earlier.

About 40 lakh tonnes of rice is consumed in Kerala every year. 16 lakh tonnes is through ration shops and 24 tonnes through the public market. Six lakh tonnes of rice produced in the state is supplied through ration shops.