Highlights
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Rice production estimates marred by the devasting floods; and continues to account for only 30 percent of the national requirement
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Rice imports nearly double in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the previous quarter.
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Rice prices remain elevated, however, likely to slow down in the second quarter of 2021 as harvest season sets in.
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Policy-wise, market intervention initiatives by National Logistics Centre (NLC) and Government plans to procure rice for strategic reserves likely to cushion the impact of floods and COVID-19 on food security situation.