India has agreed to export 79,000 metric tonnes of non-basmati white rice to Bhutan, annually. The Indian government recently announced, in a notification, that this will be done under humanitarian operations considering the friendly relationship between the two countries. The Indian government banned the export of non-basmati white rice in July to ensure enough availability and curb increases in price in its domestic market.
Shortly after the Indian government banned the export of non-basmati white rice, the government had sent a letter to the Government of India requesting to lift the ban on the export of rice to Bhutan under special consideration.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade of India has now officially communicated its decision to lift the export ban on non-basmati white rice for Bhutan in a notification on its website, yesterday.
According to the notification, India will not only resume exports to Bhutan but will also supply non-basmati white rice to two other countries, Mauritius and Singapore.
The notification also stated that India will export 79,000 metric tonnes of non-basmati rice to Bhutan, 14,000 metric tonnes to Mauritius, and 50,000 metric tonnes to Singapore.
The Prime Minister’s Office also confirmed that the Government of India has agreed to export 79,000 metric tonnes of non-basmati rice to Bhutan, annually.
Meanwhile, the Food Corporation of Bhutan, which manages 15 per cent of the country’s rice import says its rice stock is just enough to supply to the armed forces and schools as of now.
The country imported close to 90,000 metric tonnes of rice, last year.
In the country, rice growers in some districts have reported delay in paddy cultivation. And some even left their paddy fields fallow due to lack of irrigation water and untimely monsoon. Now, it remains to see how the country will be able to meet the domestic rice demand.
Karma Samten Wangda
Edited by Phub Gyem
