India imposed a 20 per cent duty on the export of rice to calm down domestic prices from flaring up at a time when the Centre is running the world's largest food distribution programme for the poor.
The levy will be imposed on the shipments from India from Friday, September 9.
"The export duty will, however, not be imposed on basmati and parboiled rice," a government notification said on Thursday evening.
"The levy will be imposed on the export of rice in the husk (paddy or rough), husked brown rice, semi-milled or wholly-milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed" (other than parboiled and basmati rice), said the notification issued by the finance ministry.
The food ministry appeared to have suggested such a levy in order to have ample stock for food distribution under Pradhan Manti Garib Kalyan Yojana, a scheme of free distribution of food for the county's over 80 crore poor started by the Centre during Covid-19.
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