New Delhi . The Central Government has decided to abolish the minimum export price for non-Basmati white rice. Along with this, it has also been decided to abolish 10 percent export duty on parboiled rice. These decisions were taken in the high level ministerial panel meeting. Soon a notification in this regard will be issued by the Central Government. It is believed that after this decision of the government, the export of rice from India to the international market will increase further.
The minimum export price (MEP) of $ 490 per tonne was fixed by the government for the export of non-Basmati white rice. Similarly, 10 percent export duty was imposed on uncooked rice. Due to this, the price of Indian rice in the international market had become higher than the average price, due to which rice exporters were facing losses. Last week itself, representatives of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) met Union Minister Piyush Goyal and demanded abolition of the Minimum Export Price (MEP) fixed for non-Basmati white rice and removal of export duty on white rice. .
IREF says that at present there is a huge stock of 235 lakh tonnes of rice in the country under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). Apart from this, 275 lakh tonnes of additional rice is expected to reach the market this season. In this way a huge stock of rice will be accumulated in the country. In such a situation, rice producing farmers and rice traders can get relief only if they get a chance to work free from restrictions for exporting rice in the international market.
In the memorandum given by IREF to Union Minister Piyush Goyal, it was also said that there has been a continuous decline in the price of rice in the international market. On the other hand, due to minimum export price constraints and export duty, Indian rice has become comparatively expensive in the international market. Success on the export front can be achieved only by offering rice at a competitive price in the international market. Keeping these things in mind, IREF had demanded from the Central Government to abolish the minimum export price and 10 percent export duty.