RICE

India's rice exports have risen 13 per cent in value terms during the first half of this fiscal year, and the outlook remains strong as the country has surplus stock to meet rising global demand, according to the industry body IREF. In an interview with PTI, Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) Vice President Dev Gard said the price of Indian rice is at least 10 per cent cheaper than competitors. According to government data, India's rice exports grew 13 per cent to Rs 54,937.71 crore in the first six months of this fiscal year. India produced over 154 million tonnes of rice in the 2025-26 crop year ending in June. "Indian rice prices are at an all-time low. Our export prices are almost 10 per cent cheaper than the second alternative available in the market, that is Thailand or Myanmar," Garg said. The global demand is also expected to rise because of the likely fall in production amid El Nino threat, he added. "India with the lowest prices and an increasing global demand is po

Kalanamak rice gains ground as improved varieties boost yields and rising demand lifts its value for farmers

The Centre said surplus rice diverted for ethanol is allocated only after meeting food security needs and buffer stock norms, while maize output remains adequate for all uses

The permissible limit has been reduced from 25 per cent to 10 per cent for raw rice and from 16 per cent to 5 per cent for parboiled rice

Experts said that the reasoning given by the government to stop the scheme, which is loss of nutrients in fortified rice due to prolonged storage, is extremely plausible

India has become the world's largest rice producer, beating China, with a total output of 150.18 million tonnes, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday, as he released 184 new varieties of 25 crops. These new high-yielding seed varieties would boost crop production and enhance farmers' income, he said, while directing the ministry officials to ensure that these new varieties reach farmers quickly. The minister unveiled 184 improved varieties of 25 field crops developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research at an event held in the national capital, according to an official statement. Addressing the event, Chouhan said the country has achieved great success in the development of high-yielding seeds. Since the gazette notification process began in 1969, a total of 7,205 crop varieties have been notified, including rice, wheat, sorghum, maize, pulses, oilseeds, fiber crops, among others. Chouhan informed that 3,236 high-yielding varieties have been ..

Exporters welcomed India's decision to make APEDA registration mandatory for non-basmati rice exports, saying it will aid transparency with minimal cost impact on trade

State reserves of rice, including unmilled paddy, totalled a record 48.2 million metric tons as of September 1, far exceeding the government's target of 13.5 million tons for July 1

The Centre has set a rice procurement target of 46.34 million tonnes for 2025-26, slightly below last year, and fixed a millet target of 1.91 million tonnes to aid crop diversification

India on Monday agreed to supply fortified rice to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to aid the food and nutritional requirements of the most vulnerable populations in crisis-hit zones globally. A letter of intent (LoI) was signed between India's Food Ministry and WFP here, underscoring the strength of global partnerships. "This LoI lays the ground to ensure a dependable supply of foodgrains for humanitarian distribution," WFP said in a statement. The initiative signifies the culmination of discussions at the February 2025 Executive Board side event in Rome, where representatives from the Indian government and WFP explored ways to collaborate. By sourcing rice from India, WFP will utilise the resources of an agricultural surplus nation to deliver life-saving aid and make tangible progress against hunger. "India is committed to the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam the earth is one family and collective responsibility towards each other and their shared future. The country's ...

Indian rice millers and exporters are upbeat about Bangladesh's "plan to import 9 lakh tonnes of rice", anticipating a boost in demand and better prices for the cereal, stakeholders said on Sunday. With India accounting for 46 per cent of global rice exports, the country is expected to "emerge as the primary beneficiary of the move for its proximity, availability, and competitive pricing", they said. "Of the total import plan, 4 lakh tonnes will be procured directly by the Bangladesh government through international tenders, while another 5 lakh tonnes will be imported by private traders of the neighbouring country. The decision comes earlier than usual, amid fear of crop loss due to heavy rain that could impact Bangladesh's Amon paddy currently being sown," Ricevilla Foods CEO Suraj Agarwal told PTI. Jai Baba Bakreswar Rice Mill Director Rahul Agarwal said the rice industry in the country, especially in Bengal, is well-positioned to benefit from the proposed plan by the Bangladesh

Inventories totaled almost 39 million tonnes this month, according to the state-owned Food Corporation of India

Centre has assured multiple times that all IPR concerns linked to gene-edited rice will be addressed and farmers will not face any licensing burden

Since India is also the world's second-largest producer, exporter of wheat, it merits to be counted among the world's major food grain powerhouses, and a key player in the international food market

Record rice stocks will help the world's biggest exporter increase shipments, while an improvement in wheat inventories will help the federal government tame any price spikes later this year

The agriculture department is in talks with private importers on purchases from producers like India, Pakistan, Cambodia and Myanmar

The least hikes in percentage terms was reserved for paddy which is the main foodgrain crop grown during the kharif season

Weed management remains the biggest challenge in the adoption of the direct seeded rice method; to counter this, popularisation of herbicide-resistant rice is critical, say experts

Genome editing is a relatively new technology, and we've had a breakthrough with the development of two novel varieties using this approach

Critically, gene-editing technologies like SDN1 do not introduce foreign deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), distinguishing them from traditional genetically modified (GM) organisms