The price of rice has not gone up yet. But Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar does not want to appear as unprepared, as he did the last season of sudden price hikes.

At a national conference on how to plan better for the next sowing season, Pawar said that paddy production is hit so naturally rice prices will rise.

"It's quite simple. There was a drought, which has affected the price of the crop," Pawar said.

The sugar and dal prices are already at an all-time high, and now it will be rice as well.

To offset a steep rise, the Centre has already offered additional incentives to paddy farmers -- the more they produce, the more they benefit.

The government has already swallowed a bitter pill over sugar prices. Now it doesn't want staple diet like rice and wheat going out of aam admi's reach.