New Delhi, Nov. 18 For the first time in 21 years, the Government is considering importing rice.
Pointing out that there were certain projections that the quantum of the cereal may not be enough due to a shortfall in the kharif output, the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, said: “To make it up, we may have to make some imports. But we have not decided the exact quantity and the timing.”
However, he said: “We have enough rice stocks. We started the rice season (in October 2009) with a surplus of six million tonnes. On April 1, 2009, we had a surplus of 7 m.t. of wheat. Therefore, the stock is adequate.”
The country’s summer-sown rice output is likely to decline 18 per cent to 69.45 m.t. by March 2010 from 84.58 m.t. in the year-ago period due to the deficient monsoon (the worst in 37 years).
The Commerce Minister, Mr Anand Sharma, said the Government was in discussion with Thailand and Vietnam on rice imports. The Empowered Group of Ministers on Food would have to decide on buying against import tenders for 30,000 tonnes. Meanwhile, the Government could ban cotton exports to help domestic supplies.
Source : Business Line