Rice deals above 10k tonnes

All rice purchases exceeding 10k tones will come under official scrutiny in the kharif marketing season.

All rice purchases exceeding 10,000 tonnes will come under official scrutiny in the kharif marketing season,a move that will help check hoarding and price rise.

“Any company or firm or individual who purchases paddy or rice in excess of 10,000 tonnes (total throughout the country) during the 2009-10 Kharif marketing season shall furnish” the information to the government of the state,where the maximum quantity has been transacted,a Food Ministry notification said on Thursday.

If the quantity purchased from anywhere in the country exceeds 25,000 tonnes,the central government will also have to be informed in writing.

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The declaration about the purchases has to be filed with the state and/or the Food Department with the central government on a weekly basis till December 31,2009,and every month thereafter.

The government scanner on rice transactions comes in the wake of estimated shortage of about 15 million tonnes of the foodgrain in the current season. There is also an apprehension that the Centre’s rice procurement may not go beyond 26 million tonnes this year.

The Centre needs 27.2 million tonnes of rice per year to run its public distribution system and other welfare schemes.

The government is also worried over the rising food prices. The food inflation jumped to 14.55 per cent for the first week of November. Rice prices have increased by 63 per cent in most cities in the last one year.