The Commerce Ministry is brainstorming policies to stabilise paddy prices ahead of the harvesting season in the third quarter of the year, when 24-26 million tonnes of paddy are due to flood the market and depress prices. Government plans to use the existing price supporting scheme, for which the state-owned bank offered soft loans with a 3% interest rate to millers and local traders to encourage them to stock up on paddy during the harvesting season, both helping farmers while preventing the crop from flooding the market.