PRESIDENT U Ye Min Aung of the Myanmar Rice Federation said at a press conference on 27 November that there are about 800,000 bags of rice in the export-based reserved rice system implemented by the cooperation of exporters at the rice centre.

A total of Fifteen per cent Aemahta of fairly good rice quality has been stored as re­served rice, he added.

“We have made an ex­port-based rice reserve sys­tem like the national reserved rice. Export-based is the par­ticipation of traders and ex­porters. So, for every tonne of rice exported, one bag of rice is added to the reserve system. This is done with the cooperation of exporters at the rice centre. This programme has now about 800,000 bags of rice, the main variety is 15- mark Aemahta. Domestically, grassroots people can eat it, so it is fairly good,” he said.

With the reserve of 800,000 bags of rice, if there is a need by the charity association, so­cial groups or factories, the federation will sell them. In addition to the export-based reserved rice system, Shwe­bo Pawsan and Ayeyawady Pawsan varieties are sold un­der the home delivery system.

“Despite the rice distribu­tion and sales, our federation is not an organization that does business. However, due to the current situation and the needs of the market, especially for industrial zones, employees from companies, factory work­ers, and grassroots people, we will take out from this reserve and sell rice to them,” he add­ed. — MT/ZN