Type 1 rice has a price difference of 143% on the same shelf.

The price difference of rice Type 1 products on the shelves attract attention and raise questions about how the final value is formed along the supply chain. According to Sergio Cardoso, a supply chain analyst... rice, packages of 5 kilos sold in the same establishment were found for prices between R$ 13.99 and R$ 33.99.

The difference between the lowest and highest value reaches R$ 20, meaning that the most expensive product costs approximately 143% more than the cheapest. Although all are classified as Type 1, this does not mean they offer exactly the same characteristics to the consumer.

Factors that can differentiate products include selection, percentage of whole grains, uniformity, cooking quality, packaging, brand, logistics, commercial positioning, and services involved. Even so, they all basically start from the same raw material: paddy rice.

Cardoso points out that the Cepea indicator showed R$ at 79.78 per 50-kilo bag, on average in Rio Grande do Sul. This comparison reinforces the debate about where such a wide difference in the price of the package available to the consumer originates.

Quality, industrial efficiency, logistics, industry and retail margins, and promotional activities are among the possible components of this variation. There is also the possibility that certain products are used by retailers as a way to attract consumers to the store.

The situation shows that market analysis cannot be limited to the price of raw materials. Between producing rice, processing it, and selling it on supermarket shelves, there are different stages of value aggregation and capture. The observed price range highlights precisely how this value is distributed among producers, industries, and retailers.