Rice exports to six countries including Nepal, Egypt and Kenya allowed

Chennai: The government has allowed exports of specific quantities of non-basmati rice to select countries including Nepal, Egypt and Kenya.  

The government on Thursday allowed the export of non-basmati white rice to Comoros, Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, and Kenya through National Cooperative Exports Ltd. Shipment of 1 lakh tonnes of white rice to Kenya and another 60,000 tonnes to Egypt. Around 50,000 tonnes will be sent to Madagascar, 20,000 tonnes to Comoros, and 10,000 to Equatorial Guinea.

Further, the government has granted a one-time exemption from ‘prohibition’ to the Rice Exporters Federation to export 20 MT of non-basmati white rice – semi-milled or wholly-milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed – as a donation to Nepal earthquake victims. The donation will be made to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRMA).

On July 20, 2023, the government banned with immediate effect the export of non-basmati, white (NBW) rice (semi-milled or wholly milled, whether polished or not, glazed. The export of broken rice also was banned before that. The export ban of non-basmati white rice and broken rice together accounted for nearly 45 per cent of India’s total rice exports in calendar year 2022. According to the government, the ban was announced to boost domestic supply and keep retail prices under check during the upcoming festive season as well as to prevent private players from manipulating market conditions. The government had said that the measures are temporary and are regularly reviewed to allow necessary adjustments based on domestic demand and supply situations.