Withdrawing a blanket ban on overseas shipments of non-basmati white rice, the government on Saturday imposed a floor price of U🎃SD 490 per tonne and exempted the commodity from export duty.
Exports of non-basmati white rice have been banned since July 20,ܫ 2023 to boost domestic supply.
"The export policy for non-basmati white rice (semi-milled or wholly milled rice, w♈hether or not polished or gazed) ...is amended from prohibited to free, subject to MEP (minimum export price) of USD 490 per tonne with immediate effect and until further orders," the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification.
The measures came at a time when the country has ample stock of rice aꩲt government godowns and retail prices are also under control.
The government has exempted non-basma꧃ti white rice from export duty, while reducing the levy on parboiled rice to🐓 10 per cent.
The duty cut came within a fortnight of the government's decision to remove the minimum export price on basmati ric🦄e.
In a notification issued on Friday, the revenue department under the finance ministry said it has also reduced export duty on husked (brown rice)🍌, and rice in the form of husk (paddy or rough) to 10 per cent.
The export duty on these varieties of rice as well as non-basmati ❀white rice was 20 per cent so far.
These duty changes are effectiv😼e from S🐬eptember 27, 2024, the notification said.
Earlier this month, the goꦆvernment had scrapped the minimum export price for basmati rice to boost outbound shipments and enhance farmers' income.
The country has exported non-basmati white rice wortꦗh USD 189 million during April-July this fiscal. It was USD 852.52 mill♛ion in 2023-24.
Though there was a ban on the exports, the government wasꦗ allowing the shipments to friendly nations like Maldives, Mauritius, the U🌼AE and African countries.
The export permission was granted by the government of India to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their governments⛦.
This variety of the rice is widely consumed in India and it also has demand in global markets, particularly in nations w🌳hich have lꦇarge Indian diaspora.
In 2023-24, the country exported the commodity to 17 nations -- Bhutan (79,000 MT - metric tonnes), Mauritius (14,000 MT), Singapore (50,000 MT), UAE (75,000 MT), Nepal (9♍5,000 MT), Cameroon (𓃲1,90,000 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).
Certain member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including the US, have earlier raised concerns over the p꧒rohibition on th꧒e exports.
India has rejected their concerns stating that the export ban on rice is a regu𒆙lation rather than a restriction and is crucial for securing the food sec🧸urity of the country's 1.4 billion people.
The US﷽ had urged💛 India to lift this export ban with immediate effect.
Those countries had argued that such measures had a detrimental impact on nations which are heavily reliant o𒁃n imports of these agri commoditiesﷺ, particularly during crises.
The ongoing war ꦍbetween Russia and Ukraine is among one of the factors that have disrupted the foodgrain supply chain🐈.
The government earlier this month also ꦫscrapped a minimum price thres𒅌hold for exports of onion as it looked to pass on the benefit of international glut to Indian farmers.
