Rice industry seeks budget support for exports, agri infra amid surplus stock, price drop
Indian rice industry has urged the government to provide incentives and policy support in the upcoming Union Budget to address surplus stock, falling prices, and sluggish exports. The industry also demanded development of modern and better rural infrastructure in the budget, particularly irrigation and cold storage facilities.
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Dev Garg, Vice President of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF), highlighted a bumper surplus of 500 lakh tonnes which has led to a price decline of 10-15 per cent in both basmati and white rice.
Despite the government's recent move to lift restrictions on non-basmati rice exports, shipments have remained weak. From April to now, rice exports have totalled Rs 76,000 crore, significantly lower than last year's Rs 1.14 lakh crore during the same period, he said.
«The current quarter is difficult for traders, and exports are unlikely to improve in the next three months. With bumper crop coming in and no space to store, the situation demands government intervention through increased incentives to push exports,» Garg said.
He called for raising the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme from 1 per cent to 3 per rcent and reintroducing the interest equalization scheme to support exporters.
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