After UN body, 3 nations ask India to resume rice exports
NEW DELHI : Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, key diplomatic partners of India, have appealed to New Delhi to resume rice exports to their nations following India’s decision to suspend non-basmati shipments to check prices. Singapore has requested around 110,000 tonnes of rice from India. In June, Indonesia announced plans to import 1 million tonnes (mt) of rice from India to protect against disruptions caused by the El Nino weather pattern.
The Philippines also relies on India for rice supplies. Recently, the UN World Food Programme sought 200,000 tonnes of Indian rice for its humanitarian operations amid what it called “catastrophic levels" of global food insecurity, triggered by the covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war, two people aware of the development said. Bangladesh is also in talks with India for supplies of some agricultural commodities, including rice.
Amid a surge in retail inflation to a 15-month high, India has taken various measures, including export curbs, to control escalating food prices. In his Independence Day speech to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to bring down inflation as he readies to fight general elections, due by May, for a third term in office. Queries mailed to the Singapore high commission in New Delhi, the embassies of Indonesia and the Philippines, and India’s department of food and public distribution remained unanswered.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) recently announced that it was in talks with India for the resumption of rice exports. “SFA is working closely with importers to increase the import of different varieties of rice from various sources. Singapore is also in close contact with the Indian authorities to seek exemption from the ban," read a press
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