Approximately 250 tonnes of basmati rice labeled 1121 - global benchmark for quality - and packaged in bags of five pounds should be delivered to Port Louis on Monday, December 30.This rice will be sold at a maximum price of Rs 280 bag five pounds or Rs 56 per kg.
Another cargo of 250 tons of rice Pusa Basmati happen at the same time and will be sold at a maximum price of Rs 245 five pounds, or Rs 49 per kg.
STC ensures not only competitive prices but also the quality of rice. The product will be provided by the company will be one of the few to have an authentic certification from the Indian authorities recognized internationally. This initiative of the STC will hurt the business practices of some providers that currently share a market of 100 000 tonnes. For now, rice Pusa Basmati is sold at Rs 55-Rs 60 per kg while 1121 basmati is sold at Rs 70 - Rs 80 per kg.
But the most aberrant remains the quality of basmati rice. Despite the imposition of new standards by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce at the beginning of the year, basmati rice altered - a mixture of basmati rice and cheaper - still dominates the market.
Hence the decision of STC to intervene in the market to regulate it. Even if the cargo is less than 10% of consumption for the month of December, the STC believes that this will be enough to convince traders to reduce their margins to more reasonable levels.
The small quantity placed on the market confirms the other hand, the willingness of the company to establish a " benchmark . " There is no way to take a share of this market has become extremely profitable in recent years. This mainly due to the change in the consumption pattern of Mauritians. While imports increased continuously basmati, rice ration those experienced a parallel decline, despite the enhancement of the quality of subsidized rice.