India’s rice ban allows for exemptions for export under conditional government-to-government deals and in case of requests made by “friendly countries” which have genuine food-security needs. The same relaxations also apply to the wheat-export ban instituted in May 2022.
India had imposed a ban on rice exports to curb rise of prices in domestic market. The ban was over growing concerns of El Nino, a weather pattern whose effects ripple around the globe, affecting the Indian monsoon and hitting rice output, and Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s grain shipments.
Bhutan has made a diplomatic request to India for rice shipments of up to 90,000 tonnes. Global prices have hit a 12-year high following India’s ban. The FAO’s All-Rice Price Index leapt 129.7 points in July 2023, up 19.6% from a year ago. India’s share in global rice exports is nearly 40%.
