Washington: After India banned the export of white rice other than Basmati, there is a fear of rice shortage across America. People have thronged grocery stores mainly to buy Sona Masuri rice.
‘Sona Masuri rice is not available despite asking in more than 10 shops from 9 am to 4 pm. In the end, I couldn’t find any other way and paid three times more than the normal price to buy rice’, said Arun, an American resident of Indian origin, crying.
The export ban is aimed at domestic availability and lower prices of rice to Indian consumers. But South Asian countries including America have had the opposite effect.
Mainly Sona Masuri rice is in high demand. They are buying whatever kind of rice from India is available in grocery stores. Also, the export ban does not cover the best quality Basmati rice. However, as a precautionary measure, customers are buying in large quantities, said Tarun, owner of a grocery store.
Videos of people queuing up in front of shops to buy rice are circulating on social media.
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