India exports $122.7 million in non-basmati white rice during April-May

Rice exports India: India exported non-basmati white rice worth $122.7 million during April and May this fiscal year, with the government closely monitoring production, availability, and export scenarios to determine appropriate policy interventions, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, noted that exports stood at $852.53 million in 2023-24, $2.2 billion in 2022-23, and $2 billion in 2021-22. He also mentioned that the export of non-basmati white rice has been banned since July 20, 2023.

However, the government allows exports based on permissions granted to other countries to meet their food security needs upon request. Consequently, India has exported this rice to several countries this fiscal year, including the Maldives (124,218.36 metric tonnes), Mauritius (14,000 MT), Malawi (1,000 MT), Zimbabwe (1,000 MT), and Namibia (1,000 MT).

In 2023-24, the country exported non-basmati white rice to 17 nations: Bhutan (79,000 MT), Mauritius (14,000 MT), Singapore (50,000 MT), UAE (75,000 MT), Nepal (95,000 MT), Cameroon (190,000 MT), Côte d'Ivoire (142,000 MT), Guinea (142,000 MT), Malaysia (170,000 MT), Philippines (295,000 MT), Seychelles (800 MT), Comoros (20,000 MT), Madagascar (50,000 MT), Equatorial Guinea (10,000 MT), Egypt (60,000 MT), Kenya (100,000 MT), and Tanzania (30,000 MT).

In response to a separate question, Prasada discussed the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement (FSA), which has not yet entered into force as it has not been ratified by two-thirds of WTO members. He emphasized that India has protected the interests of its fishermen under the agreement adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference, focusing on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and overfished stocks.

The FSA targets IUU fishing and stocks deemed overfished by coastal members like India. Genuine fishermen will not be impacted by the FSA and can continue to receive subsidies once the agreement is in effect. There is no provision in the FSA to eliminate subsidies for fishing after two years.

Under the agreement, WTO members can grant or maintain subsidies for vessels or operators not engaged in IUU fishing and for stocks not declared overfished. Thus, all fishermen, including small-scale operators, will remain eligible for fisheries subsidies if they meet these criteria.

(With PTI inputs)