In addition to the effort to control prices, there are both old and new paddy as well as newly-harvested summer paddy, so there is a full guarantee of domestic rice security and no need to worry, according to Myanmar Rice Federation chair U Ye Min Aung.
“We have adequate rice security. In our country, there is old rice stocked from last year and new rice from this year’s summer paddy. It is summer paddy harvest season in the middle part of Nay Pyi Taw Council Area. Both old paddy and rice were produced last year, so there is a full guarantee of domestic rice security. That is why our people don’t need to worry about it. We have also worked on price stability at the same time,” he said. “We have sufficient rice security because we have both old rice and paddy, so it doesn’t need to worry,” he affirmed.
At the same time, MRF has made sure that there is a regular rice supply in three major markets, including Nay Pyi Taw. Yangon and Mandalay also tried to regulate the price in accordance with the monthly reference rate by the Ministry of Commerce. Meanwhile, rice is sold at affordable prices for the public.
“We have tried our best. But it doesn’t mean we control the rice market 100 per cent. Our country practises a market economy, so farmers and rice millers are eligible to trade independently. However, the reference price has been set now, so all stakeholders are required to follow it. We have also urged them to be broadly aware of it. We can say roughly that rice price has been stable at present,” he said. — MT/ZS
