At least 20 ships are waiting to load around 600,000 tonnes of rice at Indian ports as New Delhi's surprise export restrictions have trapped cargoes for nearly a fortnight
The ban on export of broken rice and duty on outbound shipment of non-basmasti/non-paraboiled rice will boost local supplies and ease pressure on the domestic prices, a senior government official said on Thursday. As per the data maintained by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the wholesale prices have risen by 10.7 per cent to Rs 3,357.2 per quintal as on September 14 from Rs 3,047.32 per quintal a year ago. The retail prices have gone up by 9.47 per cent to Rs 38.15 per kg from Rs 34.85 per kg. Animal feed prices too have increased. Maize price rose from Rs 19 per kg on January 1, 2022 to Rs 24 per kg on September 8, 2022. Broken rice price has also increased from Rs 16 per kg to Rs 22 per kg during the same period. The local prices have come under pressure following the likely drop in rice output by 6-7 million tonnes in the ongoing kharif season of 2022-23 crop year (July-June) despite enough stocks in the government godowns. "The local rice price have begun to stabilise after
India, which commands 40% share in the global rice trade, exported 21.23 mt of rice in 2021-22, against 17.78 mt in the previous year
"The duty has made Indian rice expensive. Exports would drop by at least 5 million tonnes," B.V. Krishna Rao, president of The Rice Exporters Association (TREA), told Reuters.
The restrictions were placed, because sowing has not been up to expectations on account of irregularities in rainfall
Last week, the government imposed 20 per cent export duties on various grades of rice like non-basmati, unmilled, semi-milled or totally milled, and husked brown.
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Shares of LT Foods, Kohinoor Foods, KRBL, Chaman Lal Setia Exports, for instance, have declined in the range of 2 per cent to 9 per cent, as against 0.4 per cent gain in the Nifty50 index.
"India accounts for more than 40% of global shipments. So, nobody is sure how much prices will rise in the coming months," said Himanshu Agarwal, executive director at Satyam Balajee
The restrictions are threatening to ignite inflation for yet another key commodity, and may deprive some of the globe's poorest nations of a crucial element of their diet.
Curbs on rice exports are ill-advised
India's rice exports could fall by 4-5 million tonnes this fiscal year due to imposition of ban on broken rice as well as export duty on non-basmati rice, except for parboiled grains, exporters said. India, which commands 40 per cent share in the global rice trade, exported 21.23 million tonnes of rice in 2021-22 fiscal as against 17.78 million tonnes in the previous year. Before the COVID pandemic, the exports were 9.51 million tonnes in the 2019-20 fiscal. During April-August period of the current financial year, the government data showed that the country has already exported 9.35 million tonnes as against 8.36 million tonnes in the year-ago period. "The exports may fall to 16-17 million tonnes in this financial year because of ban on broken rice and 20 per cent export duty," All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) former president Vijay Setia told PTI. He said the country was exporting non-basmati rice for USD 380-400 per tonne, lower than the rate of shipments from other
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In full 2021-22, around 81,000 tonnes of broken rice was allotted from FCI's godowns for ethanol production
China is the biggest recipient of India's broken rice exports
Prices of rice exported from India held firm near their highest level in more than a year this week as demand from neighbouring Bangladesh remained strong
India exports rice to more than 150 countries, and any reduction in its shipments would increase upward pressure on food prices
The price of rice variants has risen 6-20 per cent in major markets across the country due to drop in acreage, stoking fears of a 6-10 mt fall in kharif production this year, compared to last year
Below-average rainfall in key rice-producing states such as West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh has raised concerns over rice production in India
The last time India blocked grain exports, in 2007 and 2008, the decision precipitated a years-long food-security crisis