Govt allows 75,000 tons non-basmati white rice exports to UAE

Prices for the crop, a staple for half the world, surged to the highest in almost 15 years after the top shipper began curbing exports

The Indian government on September 25 said it has permitted exports of 75,000 tonnes of non-basmati white rice to UAE.

The export is permitted through National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

Though exports of non-basmati white rice were banned on July 20 to boost domestic supply, exports are allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to other countries to meet their food security needs and on request.

Earlier in August, the government had permitted exports of 1.43 lakh tonnes of non-basmati white rice to Bhutan, Mauritius, and Singapore.

The DGFT had notified export of 79,000 tonnes of non-basmati white rice to Bhutan, 14,000 tonnes to Mauritius and 50,000 tonnes to Singapore.

Meanwhile, head of a United Nations agency had recently noted that India's rice export ban is boosting prices around the world, increasing the risk of political instability in Asia and Africa, reported Bloomberg.

Prices for the crop, a staple for half the world, surged to the highest in almost 15 years after the top shipper began curbing exports. India accounted for nearly 40 percent of the global rice trade in the past three years. Soaring prices are fueling concerns about food insecurity for billions of people in Asia and Africa who depend on the grain.