India lifts export ban on broken rice to promote shipments

New Delhi: The government has lifted the export ban on broken rice to promote its shipments.

The ban was imposed in September 2022.

"Export policy of broken rice has been amended from prohibited to free with immediate effect," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade has said in a notification.

Exporters have earlier urged the government to permit the shipments due to the rise in inventories.

Last year, the government removed the minimum export price (MEP) of Rs 42,679 ($490) per tonne on overseas shipments of non-basmati white rice and withdrew a blanket ban on the shipments of this variety.

These measures came at a time when the country has ample rice stock at government godowns and retail prices are also under control.

The export restriction was imposed as the Russia-Ukraine war had disrupted the foodgrain supply chain.

Though there was a ban on exports, the government allowed the shipments to friendly and needy countries on a request basis.

In 2023-24, India exported broken rice worth Rs 1,694 crore ($194.58 million) to countries like Gambia, Benin, Senegal and Indonesia. It was Rs 8,565 crore ($983.46 million) in 2022-23 and Rs 9,842 crore ($1.13 billion) in 2021-22.