India to export grains to Nepal, Indonesia, Senegal and Gambia

To keep prices down last year India banned wheat and broken rice exports and imposed a 20 per cent export duty on non-basmati rice varieties

India will export around 1.05 million tonnes of food grains to Nepal, Indonesia, Senegal and the Gambia as part of economic diplomacy in 2023.

Last year to keep prices down, India banned wheat and broken rice exports and imposed a 20 per cent export duty on non-basmati rice varieties.

The Department of Food and public distribution has allowed exports of 300,000 tonnes of wheat to Nepal, 200,000 tonnes of broken rice to Indonesia, 500,000 tonnes of broken rice to Senegal, and 50,000 tonnes of broken rice to Gambia on a request by the external affairs ministry. 

The Food Corp of India (FCI) so far has procured a little over 26 metric tonnes of wheat in the 2023-24 (October-March) rabi marketing year against a target of 34.5 metric tonnes. A hot February and heavy rains in March and April lowered wheat production to below the agriculture ministry’s second estimate of 112.2 metric tonnes.

In the case of rice, FCI had procured 77.2 metric tonnes of paddy in the ongoing 2022-23 (April-September) kharif marketing season and 3.2 metric tonnes of paddy in the current 2023-24 rabi marketing season against an estimated target of 15.7 metric tonnes. 

Last year, India exported 1.8 metric tonnes of wheat, including 33,000 tonnes of 50,000 tonnes committed to Afghanistan as part of humanitarian assistance.

To keep prices down last year India