India may see up to 12 million tonnes slump in rice production, food secretary says
India’s food secretary today affirmed the declining rice output trend in the country that had pushed New Delhi to put restrictions on the export of the foodgrain even at the cost of likely stoking food inflation across several nations.
Rice production in the 2022-2023 crop year could fall by 7-8 million tonnes because of drought, or even 12 million tonnes in a worst-case scenario, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said.
There are four affected drought states which have less area of approximately 25 lakh hectares, translating into about 7-8 million tonnes of less output. Total rice sowing is down by 38.06 lakh hectares and loss of production may be about 10 million tonnes. In worst case it can be 12 million tonnes this year due to variety of factors, he said.
India’s rice production may fall by 10-12 mn tonnes during the Kharif season this year: Food Secretary
The government stated on Friday that a decline in the area used for planting paddy might cause India’s production of rice to drop by 10 to 12 million tonnes during the current Kharif season.
The nation will have a surplus of rice, according to Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey.
He emphasised that the lack of rain in various states is to blame for the 38 lakh hectare decrease in paddy acreage so far this kharif season.
The Kharif season accounts for almost 80% of India’s total rice production.
“Loss of production of rice may be 10 million tonnes and in the worst case it can be 12 million tonnes this year,” he told reporters here. However, given on the decline in acreage and average yield, the secretary stated that this is just an initial estimate.
India’s rice export curbs trap 1 mln T at ports as buyers refuse to pay duty
Rice loading has stopped at Indian ports and nearly one million tonnes of grain are trapped there as buyers refuse to pay the government’s new 20% export levy on top of the agreed contract price, five exporters told Reuters on Friday.
India banned exports of broken rice and imposed a 20% duty on exports of various other types on Thursday as the world’s biggest exporter of the grain tries to boost local supplies and calm prices after below-average monsoon rainfall curtailed planting.
“The duty became effective from midnight, but buyers are not ready to pay the duty,” said B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA). “We have stopped loading vessels.”
India ships around two million tonnes of rice every month, with large amounts loaded from eastern ports such as Kakinada and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state.