The government today said it will not import rice for the time being as it has enough stocks of the food grain, but kept the option open to meet needs in the future.The Commerce and Industry Minister Mr. Anand Sharma told this to reporters in New Delhi after a meeting of the empowered panel of ministers on food, headed by the Finance Minister Mr.Pranab Mukherjee. Earlier this week, both Mr. Mukherjee and Mr.Sharma had talked about the possibility of importing rice amid a projected slump in its production by over 15 million tonnes in Kharif 2009-10.Our correspondent reports that the decision came at a time when state-owned trading companies like MMTC, STC and PEC are awaiting the government's direction on the bids they have received against global tenders for import of 30,000 tonnes of rice.