Rice price soars in US as India bans export of non-basmati variety; people make beeline at Indian stores

HYDERABAD: From Fremont in California, to Columbus in Ohio, the Indians particularly Telugus living in the USA are facing the pinch of a ban on the export of non-Basmati variety rice from their home country India. India on Thursday ordered a halt to rice exports owing to a 3 percent increase in domestic rice prices.

“There is a panic buying of Sona Masoori rice, the staple food for Telugus at all Indian stores. The existing stocks are almost over with each family purchasing and garnering at least 10 bags of Sona Masoori in one go at Costco, the wholesale seller,” Ravi Kuruganti, a Telugu from Vijayawada settled in Columbus told NewsTAP.

Double the price

While the North American mega stores such as Food Lion, Costco, and Walmart that regularly stock Indian food material resisted increasing the Sona Masoori rice price, most Indian stores pumped up the price.

One NRI from Plano, Texas shared a bill that confirmed his woes. The Subzi Mandi in Plano charged USD 50 for a bag of Godavari brand Sona Masoori rice bag, just USD 22 a few days ago. Similarly, a bag of Sri brand Idly rice cost him a whopping USD 40.

The Chinese alternative

In Fremont, CA, where more than 2 lakh Indians live and at least 30 percent of them Telugus responded quickly and stocked their favourite rice variety. But they have options said one of the NRI talking to NewsTAP.

“We used to depend on Sona Masoori but after my doctor advised for a low cholesterol variety we shifted to Basmati. At present we don’t have a problem because there is no ban on Basmati exports, Vijaya Saradhi D from Santa Clara said.

He added that Indians could opt for jasmine, a Chinese variety that was okay in texture. “However Mexican varieties are coarse and not suitable for Indian palate,” he said.

Rationing imposed

In the Bay area of San Francisco, most of the Indian stores have imposed a rationing system of one bag of 20 pounds per family as the techies made a beeline for their favourite rice variety.

“What is available in Costco and Indian stores is called long grain rice, it is perhaps from Vietnam or Mexico,” said P V Rama Rao, a techie from Dallas, Texas, as he wasn't sure of the real origins of the rice said. While the Indian sona masoori variety was not available, rice from other parts of the world were available, he told NewsTAP. Usually, Indians, especially Telugus, would stock rice for two to three months. Those who migrated recently were struggling owing to the latest decision of the Government of India.

Maybe we have to adopt to not having Sona Masoori, Vinay Jain a native of Bowenpally, Secunderabad from Milpitas said. “Some newcomers into the USA are more in panic node than the first-generation settlers,” he added.