There is no shortage in the UAE

Abu Dhabi: Rice suppliers and retailers in the UAE said there is no shortage in the market at the moment. They said there is sufficient stock of Basmati and non-Basmati rice, even after the export ban imposed by India on non-Basmati rice on April 1. Although the retail prices have not been raised, many retailers hinted that any increase in wholesale prices and shortage in supply could spark a crisis in future.

"Although the wholesale prices of non-Basmati rice have increased following the export ban by India, the retail prices have not been affected," E.T. Moosa Haji of Fair General Trading, a rice importer in Dubai, told Gulf News.

He said the suppliers of Thai rice, an alternative non-Basmati rice, have been demanding a huge increase in the wholesale prices. He also hinted at a shortage in supply. "We had booked 25 containers of rice from Thailand, but only 10 containers came. We used to import 15 to 20 containers per month," said Haji. (One container carries 25 tonnes)

"We have not increased the retail prices in our supermarkets owing to the restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Economy", said Haji, who is also the chairman of Fatima Group of Companies, which runs 15 supermarkets in the country.

"Now we have enough stocks which we can sell on cost price, but we cannot predict the situation in future", said Haji.

"We too did not increase the retail prices though the wholesale price of a Thailand rice was raised about 20 per cent after the export ban by India, said Abdul Hakim, purchasing manager of K.M.Trading Group, which runs 13 retail stores in the country.

"The wholesale price of a Thailand brand rice called 777 (32 kilogram bag) went up to Dh79 from Dh65, said Hakim. "Although we have enough stocks now, we try to prevent grocery stores making bulk purchase from us." He said the prices of rice from alternative sources have gone up.

Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society said there is enough stock, thanks to their warehousing system. "We have capped the prices of rice and other 255 items including non-food items," said Bejoy Thomas, marketing and advertising manager.