Traders urge govt to lift ban on broken rice export, say policy helped Myanmar

By Sribala Vadlapatla

Traders and stakeholders attending the Global Rice Conference in the city have urged the govt to lift the ban on broken rice export.

They said that the ban has helped neighbouring Myanmar gain at the expense of India and it is expected to export a majority of its produce to Asian countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Myanmar was once a top rice exporter during the 1960s but lost that tag due to its internal turmoil, and it was only recently that it returned on the global map, they said.

The first Global Rice Summit is being held in the country under the aegis of the International Commodity Institute (ICI) in partnership with the Telangana govt.

As per statistics, India is the top exporter of rice in the world followed by Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan. India exports more than 17 million tons of rice annually of which Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are the top states.

Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) president Prem Garg said lifting ban on broken rice ban will help traders, exporters and farmers in the country.

“Our exports have taken a hit, but we will be able to reach the 17 million tons mark with rice exports of allowed quality,” he said.

Summit experts also gave a call to campaign for less usage of pesticides in cultivation.

“If this happens, exports will soar from Telangana,” a participant said.

The govt had imposed the ban as it was worried about possibility of drought.

It had later allowed its export in specified quantities to five countries.

“There is one crore less acreage that went to paddy cultivation globally at the time the ban was announced by India in July. But in Telangana our productivity remained the same, and in the country too. So, we can expect a favourable decision towards lifting of ban by the new NDA govt soon,” a top official form state govt said.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.