HYDERABAD: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has once again requested the Central government to permit export of additional 15 lakh MT of rice from Andhra Pradesh to abroad through normal trade channels to dispose of the rice stocks in the State.He said unless the millers clear the stocks with them, they will not be ready to commence paddy purchases for the ensuing Kharif season of 2011-12. It may be recalled here that the Centre has allowed export of 10 lakh MT of non-basmati rice on the chief minister’s request.In separate letters to Union minister for finance Pranab Mukherjee and Union minister for food and consumer affairs Prof KV Thomas on Tuesday, the chief minister requested them to consider the export of the 15 lakh MT of rice in addition to the rice export of 10 lakh MT allowed earlier. He felt the move would not cause shortage of rice either for PDS or in the open market. While more exports would help farmers get remunerative prices, inaction on this front could force them to distress sale defeating the objective of the support programmes of the central and state governments, he said.“The rice production in AP in 2010-11 was 1.43 crore MT which is 33 per cent higher than last year. New arrivals are expected from the last week of October, 2011. The millers are holding huge stocks of rice awaiting delivery to the FCI besides a substantial quantity of levy-free rice. The need of the hour is to permit export of rice from AP to abroad,” said Kiran Kumar Reddy.
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