The Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) has submitted a detailed representation to Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, ahead of the Union Budget 2026–27, urging recognition of the rice sector as a strategic national asset in an era of increasingly weaponized global trade.

In its submission, IREF highlighted India’s rice sector not merely as an agricultural commodity but as a cornerstone of rural livelihoods, farmer incomes, employment generation, and foreign exchange earnings. The Federation underscored the need for a stable, predictable policy environment to sustain export growth and strengthen India’s position as a reliable supplier in a competitive and geopolitically sensitive global market.

The representation also flagged operational and cost-related constraints across the rice value chain, from procurement and milling to logistics, advocating targeted measures to improve efficiency, reduce transaction costs, and enhance ease of doing business for exporters.

“Supportive budgetary interventions in the rice sector will generate a multiplier effect across farmers, millers, exporters, and allied industries, particularly in major rice-producing states,” said Dr. Prem Garg, National President, IREF. “In an environment where trade is increasingly weaponized, close coordination between the government and industry stakeholders is critical to ensure sustainable growth, safeguard India’s export leadership, and reinforce the sector’s strategic importance.”

IREF’s recommendations come at a pivotal moment as India consolidates its global rice supply position, balancing domestic food security with international trade opportunities. The Federation emphasised that forward-looking fiscal and policy measures could transform the rice sector into a resilient, future-ready engine of agricultural growth and export competitiveness.