India To Export 14,000 Metric Tonne Non-Basmati White Rice To Mauritius

The Indian government on Monday decided to export non-basmati white rice to Mauritius through National Cooperative Exports Ltd., according to a notification by the Director General of Foreign Trade.

The authorities have permitted export of 14,000 metric tonne of non-basmati white rice to Mauritius, the notification said.

The Indian government had banned the export of non-basmati white rice in July 2023. This included semi-milled, wholly milled, polished and glazed varieties.

The ban on the export was imposed to boost domestic supply, however, exports of rice are allowed based on government permission granted to certain countries upon request to meet their food security needs.

The government had sanctioned the export of 30,000 tonne of non- Basmati rice to Tanzania and 80,000 tonne of broken rice to Djibouti and Guinea-Bissau.

According to the notification, 30,000 tonne of broken rice are granted to Djibouti and 50,000 tonne to Guinea-Bissau.

Earlier, India has also exported rice to nations like Nepal, Cameroon, Cote D'Ivore, Guinea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Seychelles.

India's attempt to impose restrictions on rice exports to hold down domestic prices has drawn sharp reactions around the world since July last year, forcing importers to turn to other major rice-exporting nations like Vietnam and Thailand.

In 2023, India also imposed 20% duty on parboiled rice exports and fixed a minimum export price of Basmati at $950 per mt.

Some estimates suggest India contributes 40% to the total rice exports globally.

India's curbs, which might seem heavier on West African nations, is expected to last till the first half of 2024, according to an S&P commodity report that released earlier in January.

El Niño has had drying effects on key Asian producers and many expect India to wait till its 2024 Kharif season harvest before it decides to lift the export curbs.

The S&P report also noted that most trade sources feel the Indian government may not ease the restrictions before the general elections are over.