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With the rice production in the country expected to rise, an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), which met on Wednesday, decided to permit exports of up to 1,50,000 tonnes of three varieties of non-basmati rice at a minimum export price of $850 a tonne.
These non-basmati rice varieties include Sona Masuri, Ponni Samba and Rose Matta (Palakkadan Matta). These are grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
After the EGoM meeting, the Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, told reporters that the Government has also decided to allow exports of a variety of onion (Rose variety grown in Karnataka) in small quantity. This variety is consumed in limited quantity in India.
The Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Anand Sharma, said there is adequate quantity of the three non-basmati rice varieties. However, he said the export ban stays for the remaining varieties of non-basmati rice, adding that the present position continues for exports of basmati rice (that is shipments allowed only with a minimum export price of $900 a tonne).
The proposal was to allow exports of a minimum 1,00,000 tonnes of premium Sona Masuri rice and 25,000 tonnes each of ‘Ponni Samba' and ‘Palakkadan Matta' as well as for permitting shipments of Rose and Krishnapuram varieties of onion.
The Government had indefinitely banned onion exports in late December 2010 following a jump in prices. The Government had also scrapped import duties.
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