Export of Basmati Rice

The export of basmati rice has shown an increasing trend. The export details in the last three years and in the current year are:

Source: DGCI&S; * Provisional

Domestic prices of any agriculture commodity, inter-alia, are a function of several factors like domestic and international demand and supply, cost of production like labour, capital, input cost etc., prevailing domestic and international food inflation etc. and, therefore, cannot be directly attributed to exports alone.

The Government has not received any report officially from USFDA or Embassy of India, Washington. However, on USFDA website there is a consumer update referring to preliminary test on presence of arsenic content in some food products including basmati rice.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Dr. D Purandeswari in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

DS/RK

(Release ID :93405)