Exporters of basmati rice in the Punjab and Haryana areas of India are unfazed by the recent incessant rains which damaged paddy. They hope to maintain the increase in exports which started from July this year.
“The rain damaged ‘Pusa-1509’; the variety which is normally harvested in September. The area under this variety is, however, insignificant. We don’t expect any decline in basmati exports this year,” All India Rice Exporters Association president Vijay Setia said.
Exporters expect better value this year as the rupee has depreciated against the dollar. Basmati exports for the financial year so far was at 40.52 lakh tonnes as compared to 39.85 lakh tonnes in the previous financial year.
The increase in exports is attributed to robust demand from their usual markets in West Asia. As many as 132 countries import basmati from India every year. Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iraq are the major importers. Pakistan also exports basmati to many different countries.
