India has the largest share in the global rice trade and continues to expand its footprint across the world

India exported rice to 150 countries in 2021-22 and the value of non-Basmati rice exports touched USD 6115 million during the last fiscal, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, India, which is the world’s second-largest rice producer after China, continues to expand its rice exports footprint in the African, Asian and European Union markets. This has ensured that India has the largest share in the global rice trade.

India’s non-basmati rice exports witnessed an astounding growth of 109 % from USD 2925 million in FY 2013-14 to USD 6115 million in FY 2021-22, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said.

According to the official data, India had exported non-basmati rice worth USD 2015 million in 2019-20, which rose to USD 4799 million in 2020-21 and USD 6115 million in 2021-22.

Registering a growth of 27% in 2021-22, export of non-basmati rice was the top forex earner among all agri-commodities, at USD 6115 million.

West African country Benin is one of the major importers of non-basmati rice from India. Other destination countries are Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Cote D’ Ivoire, Togo, Senegal, Guinea, Vietnam, Djibouti, Madagascar, Cameroon Somalia, Malaysia, Liberia, U.A.E, the ministry said.

In 2020-21, India shipped non-basmati rice to nine countries - Timor-Leste, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Eswatini, Myanmar and Nicaragua, where exports were carried out for the first time or earlier the shipment was smaller in volume.

India’s thrust on expanding port handling infrastructure, development of value chain involving key stakeholders along with efforts to explore new opportunities in countries or markets for rice exports in the last couple of years have led to a huge spike in rice exports.

"Notwithstanding logistical challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, India continues to expand its rice exports footprint in the African, Asian and European Union markets, thus having the largest share in global rice trade. The robust global demand also helped India’s growth in rice exports," the ministry said.

The major rice producing states are West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam, and Haryana.