India permits 75,000 tonne non-basmati white rice exports to UAE

India has allowed the export of non-basmati white rice to the tune of 75,000 tonnes to the UAE. Notably, the export of non-basmati white rice was prohibited from July 20 to check the domestic prices and ensure domestic food security. The exports to UAE are permitted through National Cooperative Exports Limited, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in its notification on late Monday evening. While amending the export policy, DGFT maintained that the export will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their government. Last month, India had decided to allow the export of rice to “meet the food security requirements" of Singapore. West African country Benin is one of the major importers of non-basmati rice from India. Other destination countries are UAE, Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Cote D’ Ivoire, Togo, Senegal, Guinea, Vietnam, Djibouti, Madagascar, Cameroon Somalia, Malaysia, and Liberia. India in September 2022 banned the exports of broken rice and imposed a 20 per cent duty on exports of non-Basmati rice, except for parboiled rice amid concerns about low production due to a fall in area under the paddy crop. It later lifted the ban in November.