NEW DELHI: India on Saturday allowed exports of non-basmati white rice exports as inventories in the world’s biggest exporter of the grain surged and farmers are set to harvest a new crop in the coming weeks.

New Delhi set a floor price for non-basmati exports at $490 per tonne, a government order said.

India on Friday reduced export duty on parboiled rice to 10 per cent from 20pc earlier, a move that will lower its export prices, boost shipments and force competing countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Myanmar to reduce their prices as well.

India imposed various curbs on rice exports in 2023 and continued them in 2024 to keep local prices in check ahead of the April-June national elections.

The government earlier this month removed a floor price for basmati rice exports to help thousands of farmers who complai­ned about a lack of access to lucrative overseas markets such as Eur­ope, the Middle East and the United States.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024