India may get Chinese nod for basmati rice export soon: APEDA

China is expected, in the next 2-3 months, to allow Indian basmati rice imports as the two countries have recently reached a political consensus, a top official of agri-export promotion body APEDA has said.

"A political consensus on basmati rice trade was arrived at the recently held Eighth Joint Commission Meeting in China," Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Chairman Asit Tripathy told PTI.

"Considering the progress made in the last 6-7 months, I think in 2-3 months time, we should be able to get a formal approval," he said, adding that China, a rice-eating country, is a potential market for India.

Tripathy, who was in the meeting as part of the delegation led by the Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, said that India would be able to export at least 20,000 tonnes of basmati rice if the market opens.

"In a recent meeting, we have briefed the Chinese ministers about opening the market access for our basmati rice. We have also shared with them the pest risk analysis of the grain," he said.

India, which has exported 10.6 lakh tonnes in the first six months of the 2009-10 fiscal, has been attempting for several years to resolve the trade barrier with China, though basmati rice has been exported to the neighbouring country through informal channels, he added.