Govt won't import rice as of now: Sharma

The government today said it will not import rice for the time being as it has enough stocks of the food grain, but kept the option open to meet needs in the future.

The government today said it will not import rice for the time being as it has enough stocks of the food grain, but kept the option open to meet needs in the future.

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"We are not importing. We have adequate stocks. We will review if there is any need (in future)," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma told reporters here after a meeting of the empowered panel of ministers on food, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Earlier this week, both Mukherjee and Sharma had talked about the possibility of importing rice amid a projected slump in its production by over 15 million tonnes in Kharif 2009-10.