New Delhi: The Union government’s decision to retain the minimum export price of basmati rice at $1,200 per tonne has led to a section of exporters to decide to stop buying rice from 300 mandis from October 14.The government introduced a $1200 price floor on the export of basmati rice to keep a check on non-basmati exports which are prohibited but were being exported in the garb of basmati, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had said in a notification in August.On August 25, the government had levied a 20% duty on the export of non-basmati parboiled rice which accounted for 30% of rice shipments in 2021-2022, The Wire had reported.Economic Times has reported that the export price of basmati is very high, thus stopping India’s exporters from competing with the global market.As a result, exporters in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have decided not to buy rice from the 300 wholesale centres or mandis across states in the area.A former head of the All India Rice Exporters Association has told the newspaper that the government has been promising that the MEP will be lowered to $900 per tonne. A meeting on September 25, presided over by Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, saw this promise being made.Almost 80% of the 1509 variety of basmati rice has allegedly been lying with farmers and the rest has been procured. This variety accounts for 40% of the area under cultivation.Farmers’ leaders have told ET that maintaining status quo will lead to an agitation by farmers.