The National Food Supply Agency (CONAB) of Brazil offered 14 900 tonnes of rice paddy for sale through two auctions on October 7. This follows a previous release in late September, when 25 700 tonnes were sold, out of 35 000 tonnes offered, and another two auctions earlier in the month (FPMA Food Policies). Under its Minimum Guaranteed Price Policy (PGPM), CONAB aims to regulate markets of widely used food commodities by stockpiling or selling strategic reserves according to needs, in an effort to support farmers or ease market supply concerns and high prices. The latest series of auctions aimed to boost availabilities of paddy in the market and ease prices, which rose further in September and reached record levels in nominal terms, due to tight domestic availabilities.