Non-basmati rice exports surge as West Asia, Africa construct reserves

At a time when most different main agricultural and processed meals merchandise both noticed a dip or lukewarm progress in shipments, India’s non-basmati rice exports skilled a surge, regardless of the continued Covid-19 pandemic.
Shipments of the staple meals grain between April 2020 and January 2021 greater than doubled over the identical interval within the earlier monetary yr, confirmed provisional authorities knowledge.
Shipments of the meals grain rose 115.44 per cent to $3.51 billion in April-January 2020-21 from $1.63 billion in the identical interval in 2019-20, in line with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

By comparability, shipments of basmati, which had largely tapered off since May 2020, dropped 2.66 per cent to $3.27 billion from $3.36 billion.
Non-basmati exports to nations in West Asia and a few within the African continent have risen over the previous few months as they’ve been constructing a reserve inventory of the cereal, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, anticipating a world meals shortage.
Iran, one of many largest world shoppers of basmati and non-basmati rice, imported 12,000 metric ton throughout 2020-21, as towards 11,250 metric ton in FY20, in line with knowledge from the US Department of Agriculture.
Other nations which have recorded a noticeable improve in imports of various kinds of non-basmati rice even between April and December 2020 embrace Madagascar, Malaysia, Benin, Togo and Senegal.
In the present fiscal, the full rice sowing in India in Rabi season has risen practically 17 per cent on-year at 3.5 million hectare, whereas Kharif rice sowing within the yr has risen as much as 6 per cent and was 40.7 million hectares, as per Agriculture Ministry knowledge.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry expects a “major boost” in India’s rice exports potential, with APEDA’s promotion of those cereal grain by collaborations with varied stakeholders within the worth chain.
On March 4, the nation’s first consignment of Assam-grown crimson rice had been flagged off to the United States.
Non-basmati and basmati rice type a significant portion of APEDA’s export basket, with non-basmati accounting for 22.52 per cent and basmati round 20.99 per cent of the authority’s complete exports.
“We took several measures in terms of ensuring safety and hygiene because of the operational and health challenges posed by Covid-19, while ensuring that rice exports continue uninterrupted,” mentioned APEDA chairman M Angamuthu concerning the “sharp spike” in rice exports, which come at a time when provide of a number of commodities has been disrupted by the pandemic.

Buffalo meat — one other main product that accounts for 16.83 per cent of APEDA’s exports — is amongst people who have seen a disruption in shipments in the course of the pandemic yr.
India recorded $2.62 billion in exports of the livestock product between April-January 2020-21, down 5.62 per cent from the $2.78 billion it had shipped throughout the identical interval in 2019-20.
In anticipation of worldwide meals shortage
Non-basmati exports to nations in West Asia and a few within the African continent have risen over the previous few months as they’ve been constructing a reserve inventory of the cereal, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, anticipating a world meals shortage
Shipments of non-basmati rice elevated 115.44 per cent to $3.51 billion in April-January 2020-21 from $1.63 billion in the identical interval in 2019-20, in line with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
By comparability, shipments of basmati, which had largely tapered off since May final yr, dropped 2.66 per cent to $3.27 billion from $3.36 billion