CNI News

28 June 2024

The government should carry out to control the high price of rice and to stabilize the price of rice by purchasing reserve rice and selling it, pointed out farmers and traders.

The government could carry out to stabilize the price of rice by purchasing rainfed rice in October and November and summer rice in April as reserve rice and selling them in July and September when rice is scarce, said farmers and rice traders.

Purchasing reserve rice and selling it to the public could prevent traders from buying rice at the price that reduce less than reasonable one from farmers and protect the public from the higher price, U Thein Aung, chairman of the Farmers Development Association, told CNI News.

While seeing bags of rice

" As reserve rice, the government should buy rice from farmers in October and November when the paddy appears abundantly and then, in April. After that, the reserve rice will be sold to the public at the time when rice is rare. If so, traders can't buy rice by reducing the price. It can control the higher price as well. It can protect both the producers and the consumers." he said.

Because domestic rice consumption is about 800,000 tons each month, the government could control the price of rice by purchasing about 600,000 tons of rice as the reserve rice, he added.

Moreover, it was necessary to know the time when the reserve rice would have to be sold and it was necessary to include the people who sympathize and understand the grassroots in the reserve rice procurement committee, a rice trader told CNI News.

While seeing a rice warehouse

" Only those who buy the reserve rice should not determine the time of sale. Rather than rice traders and people from rice and paddy associations are dominating, the people who sympathize and understand the grassroots should be included in the reserve rice procurement committee." he said.

The reserve rice procurement committee had been formed since the government led by U Thein Sein. However, the program was used only for the people from the areas affected by natural disasters reportedly. However, there have been no more purchases of the national reserve rice since 2021 when political changes started.

Purchasing reserve rice was needed not only for the people from the areas affected by natural disasters but also for controlling higher price of rice, pointed out some people.