Export of non-basmati rice not feasible: Pawar

The government will not permit export of non-basmati rice as procurement in 2009-10 is expected to be much less than last year, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has said.

"There is a need to conserve the rice stock in view of a likely shortfall in the procurement of rice in the Kharif marketing season 2009-10, owing to deficient rainfall in the country," Pawar said in a letter to Lok Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh Ponnam Prabhakar.

He said that in the larger interest of the country's food security, "it would not be feasible to permit exports of non-basmati rice."

The Centre had imposed a ban on non-basmati rice exports in April 2008 in a bid to cool food inflation, which is ruling at near 17 per cent, leaving little room for relaxing exports.

Rice procurement, so far, in the current year (October- September) has been 28.6 million tonnes against 29.9 million tonnes in the year-ago period, due to a sharp fall in production caused by a widespread drought last year. 

The government procured a record 33.68 million tonnes last year and expects this year's to be 30 million tonnes. The output had dropped to 89.31 million tonnes in 2009-10 from 99.18 million tonnes in the previous year.