Brazil halts sizeable rice purchase amid irregularities
The Brazilian administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Tuesday canceled a tender whereby some 263,000 tons of rice were to be purchased abroad to make up for the crops lost in the flooded State of Rio Grande do Sul. The decision was made after signs of irregularities were detected in the bidding companies. Rio Grande do Sul accounts for 70% of Brazil's rice production.