Retailers asked to add rice into New Year’s gift baskets

NONTHABURI, Nov 27 (TNA) – Commerce Ministry’s Department of Internal Trade is seeking cooperation from local retailers to include rice bags in New Year’s gift baskets in a bid to help suffering rice farmers in the country. Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, the department’s director-general, said the move will expand distribution channels for farmers and that it will reduce a glut of rice as well as give a boost to domestic rice consumption. Rice bags in the New Year’s gift baskets can be varied in terms of size and prices to provide consumers with more options, but product quality will strictly be controlled, she said. Nuntawan said each product in the baskets must last at least six months after January 2017 and expiration dates must be shown clearly on the packages. In addition, price tags should be provided. The director-general has instructed all provincial offices nationwide to tighten regulations against overpriced and poor quality products in the gift baskets. (TNA)