| Date: |
16-09-2010 |
| Subject: |
Basmati exports cross 1-mt mark |
|
New Delhi: Notwithstanding objection from some European countries, export of high-value basmati(aromatic) rice from India continues to surge and has already crossed one million tonnes between April to July 2010.
Officials and traders believe that basmati exports from India this year could be higher than 2009-10 because of large-scale damage to standing crops in Pakistan in the recent floods. Pakistan and India are two biggest basmati rice producers in the world. Some estimates show that around seven lakh hectare of rice crop has been impacted by floods in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, according to the latest industry data, India has exported around 9.04 lakh tonne of basmati during April-July 2010, while the contracted amount till August stood at more than 1.15 million tonne. Last year during the same period, exports of the aromatic rice had crossed 1 million tonne
“In comparison to last year the exports are slightly on the lower side, but we are quite hopeful that it will pick up once monsoon withdraws,” Vijay Setia, president, All India Rice Exporters Association, told FE.
According to Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda), exports of the premium aromatic rice had increased by 44% to 2.3 million tonne in 2009-10 from 1.6 million tonne achieved in 2008-09. In value terms, the export of basmati rice had crossed Rs 12,000 crore in 2009-10 as against Rs 9,476 crore in 2008-09.
In June, a Hamburg-based lab had reported that organic basmati rice imported from India has elevated levels (0.03%) of carbendazim and isoprothiolane (both plant protection products and PPP), while the European Commission had fixed an arbitrary minimum residue limit (MRL) of 0.01 ppm. This has stalled exports of around 10,000 tonne of basmati rice to Germany .
“Our main market is Gulf countries, till now there is no cause of concern on basmati rice exports there,” Asit Tripathy, Chairman, Apeda said. Rice exports to Iran and Saudi Arabia constitute close to 60% of the total exports.
Source : financialexpress.com
|