India mulls lifting export curbs on non-basmati rice by May
Sunday, 1 March 2009
NEW DELHI, Feb 28 (PTI): A bumper rice production may prompt India to lift export curbs on non-basmati variety by May, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations said in a report.
"The curbs are expected to be lifted either in April or May 2009," FAO said in its February Rice Market Monitor.
However, India is expected to go to polls in a couple of months and the new government, which can take policy decisions, will be in place in late May or early July only.
Among the major world rice suppliers, India and Egypt maintain export restrictions as fears of food inflation in those countries have not yet waned.
The government had banned export of non-basmati rice in April last year when inflation was running high.
Easing of restrictions could boost rice exports, which is pegged at four million tonnes in 2009 against 3.6 million tonnes in the corresponding year, the UN body said.
Despite curbs on exports of non-basmati rice, India is still ranked third among world exporters, it said.
According to official data, India is estimated to produce a record 98.89 million tonnes of rice in 2008-09 against 96.69 million tonnes in the previous year.
"The curbs are expected to be lifted either in April or May 2009," FAO said in its February Rice Market Monitor.
However, India is expected to go to polls in a couple of months and the new government, which can take policy decisions, will be in place in late May or early July only.
Among the major world rice suppliers, India and Egypt maintain export restrictions as fears of food inflation in those countries have not yet waned.
The government had banned export of non-basmati rice in April last year when inflation was running high.
Easing of restrictions could boost rice exports, which is pegged at four million tonnes in 2009 against 3.6 million tonnes in the corresponding year, the UN body said.
Despite curbs on exports of non-basmati rice, India is still ranked third among world exporters, it said.
According to official data, India is estimated to produce a record 98.89 million tonnes of rice in 2008-09 against 96.69 million tonnes in the previous year.