The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry has announced “additional safeguards” to prevent the "illegal export" of certain rice varieties, which continue to be exported despite previous government bans.
According to a ministry statement, the total export of rice (other than the broken rice variety) had witnessed a 15.06 percent year-on-year rise this year through 17 August, as compared to the previous year.
“There has been a spurt in the export of parboiled rice and Basmati rice. Both of these varieties did not have any restriction on exports,” the statement emphasized.
The statement revealed that Indian authorities had “received credible field reports regarding mis-classification and illegal export of non-basmati white rice, export of which has been prohibited” since July 20.
“It has been reported that non-Basmati white rice is being exported under the HS (Harmonized System) codes of parboiled rice and Basmati rice,” it said.
The ministry said that it had ordered the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the nodal agency regulating the export of Basmati rice, to register certificates for only those Basmati contracts which are above the value of $1,200 per metric ton (MT).
“Contracts with the value of below $1,200 per MT may be kept in abeyance and may be evaluated by a committee to be set up by the Chairman, APEDA, for understanding the variation in prices and use of this route for export of non-Basmati white rice,” it said.
According to estimates, Indian rice exports comprised nearly 40 percent of the global rice trade last year — involving exports of parboiled rice, non-Basmati white rice, basmati rice and broken rice varieties.