Agri News Service
New Delhi, 03 August 2024
THE ALLEGATION THAT USE OF PESTICIDES ADVERSELY AFFECTS INDIA’S BASMATI RICE EXPORT IS UNFOUNDED: CCFI
In the past 10 years, India’s export of basmati rice has been growing at a CAGR of 4%. This is double the CAGR of 2% achieved by India’s total agricultural exports! In FY 2023-24, the export of basmati rice reached a record level of 5.24 mn tons (Rs 48,389 Cr), up from 3.7 mn tons (Rs 27, 599 Cr) 10 years ago with growing demand based on acceptable quality On analysing, we find that 97% of India’s basmati exports go to non-EU countries led by Saudi Arab, Iraq, Iran, Yemen and UAE. EU is a minuscule market for rice in general, with its domestic consumption of rice @ 2.8 mn tons/year, much less than the domestic consumption of rice in Sri Lanka @ 3.2 mn tons/year. “Therefore, there is no need to give disproportionate attention to the EU’s trade-restrictive regulations concerning rice” stated Nirmala Pathrawal, Executive Director, CCFI. This finding in a single slide carries a powerful advocacy message for use in defence of legitimate use of pesticides in basmati cultivation.