India exports $122.7 mn worth non-basmati white rice during Apr-May

India has exported non-basmati white rice worth $ 122.7 million during April-May this fiscal and the government is closely monitoring its production, availability and export scenario to assess suitable policy intervention, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

The exports stood at $852.53 million in 2023-24, $2.2 billion in 2022-23 and $2 billion in 2021-22, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

He informed the export of non-basmati white rice is banned at present since July 20, 2023.

However, export is allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government of India to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their government.

Accordingly, Prasada said the export of non-basmati white rice has been allowed to the different countries.

So far this fiscal, India has exported this rice to Maldives (1,24,218.36 MT), Mauritius (14,000 MT), Malawi (1,000 MT), Zimbabwe (1,000 MT), and Namibia (1,000 MT). MT is metric tonnes.

In 2023-24, the country exported the commodity to 17 nations - Bhutan (79,000 MT), Mauritius (14,000 MT), Singapore (50,000 MT), UAE (75,000 MT), Nepal (95,000 MT), Cameroon (1,90,000 MT), Cote d' Ivore (1,42,000 MT), Guinea (1,42,000 MT), and Malaysia (1,70,000 MT).

The other countries are Philippines (2,95,000 MT), Seychelles (800 MT), Comoros (20,000 MT), Madagascar (50,000 MT), Equatorial Guinea (10,000 MT), Egypt (60,000 MT), Kenya (1,00,000 MT), and Tanzania (30,000 MT).

Replying to a separate question, the minister said the FSA (fisheries subsidies agreement) has not yet entered into force as the Agreement has not been ratified by two-thirds of the members of the WTO (World Trade Organisation).

India has been able to protect the interests of fishermen under the agreement adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference on the pillar of Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU), and Overfished stocks.

The FSA is confined to IUU fishing and for stocks that are in overfished condition as determined by the coastal member i.e. India in its jurisdiction.

"Therefore, the genuine fishermen will not be impacted by the FSA and can continue to receive subsidies even after the Agreement enters into force," he said, adding there is no such decision in the FSA to scrap subsidies for fishing after two years.

As per the provisions of the agreement which has still not entered into force, no prohibition has been imposed on a WTO member regarding granting or maintaining subsidy to its vessel or operator as long as it is not undertaking IUU fishing and the stocks are not in overfished condition.

He also said that, if a vessel/ operator is not engaged in IUU fishing, then that vessel/ operator will always be eligible for fisheries subsidies.

Similarly, if the stocks are not declared overfished by the coastal member that is India, then, all fishermen including the poor small-scale fishermen will be eligible for fisheries subsidies.