India Permits Exports of 3.5 lakh tonnes of Broken Rice to Senegal & Gambia

The Commerce Ministry has cleared the shipping of 1 lakh tonnes of broken rice to Gambia and 2.5 lakh tonnes to Senegal, according to a statement issued by the Finance Ministry to Customs Commissioners in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, Nagpur, and Mumbai.

Also, the Ministry has authorized the shipping of 9,990 tonnes of broken rice to Djibouti, Ethiopia. Ruby Overseas, based in Chennai, will handle the shipment. In the case of Gambia, the Centre has authorised requests to export broken rice from Royal Mirage Consultancy (5,000 tonnes), Sarala Food Pvt Ltd (12,500 tonnes), and Laxmi Group of Industries Pvt Ltd (12,500 tonnes) (2,000 tonnes).

Senegal has received 1,12,500 tonnes of the total 2.5 lakh tonnes cleared by the Ministry, with Sarala Foods, Sri Chitra Exports, Manasa Quality Enterprises Ltd, Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt Ltd, and CLRK Industries Pvt Ltd each receiving 22,500 tonnes. A portion of the trade is irritated by the authorisation for broken rice exports, wondering why the Centre authorised shipments to some countries but not to others.

"The shipments are being approved for strategic reasons and because the External Affairs Ministry is involved," claimed the unnamed analyst. The expert stated that India is clear that it will cover the food needs of "weak countries," citing the Centre's notifications prohibiting wheat exports and limiting rice shipments.

"The Foreign Affairs Ministry would have considered a variety of factors before approaching the Commerce Minister," he explained. Because the kharif paddy output was hampered by a lack of rain in important rice-growing districts in the east, the Centre banned the export of broken rice and placed a 20% levy on shipments of white and brown rice.

Rice production in the kharif season is expected to be 108.07 million tonnes (mt) in 2022, down from 111 mt in 2021. Nonetheless, rabi output has made up for the loss, with the Ministry of Agriculture projecting 22.76 mt compared to 18.47 mt the previous year. The Ministry of Agriculture has forecast rice output for the current crop year to June at a record 130.84 million tonnes, up from 129.47 million tonnes the previous crop year.