Various issues related to rice exports discussed in the meeting of Commerce Ministry and exporters

19-Jun-2024 06:19 PM

New Delhi. An important meeting of rice exporters was held today i.e. on 19 June 2024 under the chairmanship of Rajesh Aggarwal, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Commerce,

in which the agenda mainly included the difficulty being faced by Indian exporters in the matter of export duty on Sela rice at various ports of the country.

Along with this, the exporters also put forward some other important issues for the consideration of the government in this meeting.

Exporters Rajiv Kumar, Executive Director of Rice Exporters Association, was also present in this meeting. He says that in the meeting,

first of all, a demand was made to the government to fix export duty in US dollars for Sela rice. At present, a uniform (20 percent) export duty is applicable on Sela rice of all varieties and categories.

Instead, duty should be applied (fixed) in dollars. There are many challenges and difficulties under the existing system because there is a difference in the quality of rice and there is a difference in the price of different varieties and categories of Sela rice.

In the meeting, the exporters suggested the government to fix a new HSN code for premium varieties of non-basmati rice like Sona Masuri so that it is not included in the scope of the ban on white rice.

The export quantity of this category of rice is less than 5 lakh tonnes and it meets the special needs of people of Indian origin living all over the world.

Similarly, the exporters requested the government to include steam rice under the category of sella rice, for which more details are yet to be submitted to the Ministry of Commerce so that it can be clear that steam rice is a type of sella rice.

According to Rajiv Kumar, some more meetings are going to be held soon between the exporters and the government with the request to remove the controls and restrictions on the export of white rice and tukdi rice.

There are chances of getting cooperation and support from the government because the exporters will continue to try to persuade the government to accept their issues in the interest of their country and trade. It is certain that the government will support the genuine request (demand) of the exporters.