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India is the largest exporter of Basmati rice in the world. It exports about 80 percent of its produce. India has exported approximately 4.6 million tonnes of Basmati rice in the year 2022-23. The arrival of Basmati rice has started in the markets of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. But, this time farmers are getting lower price of Basmati rice as compared to last year. Farmers say that they are incurring huge losses in the sale of Basmati rice this year. If farmers are to be believed, this time they are getting Rs 400 to Rs 500 less per quintal. Also, farmers allege that due to the central government setting the minimum export price of Basmati rice at Rupees 1,200 per tonne, they are suffering huge losses.

India is the largest basmati exporter in the world

India is the world's largest exporter of Basmati rice. It exports 80 percent of its production of basmati rice. In such a situation, its price keeps rising and falling due to exports. If the minimum export price of Basmati rice exceeds $ 850 per tonne, then in such a situation traders will suffer huge losses. Farmers will also have to suffer huge losses due to this. Because traders will buy Basmati rice from farmers at lower prices. Meanwhile, there is news that the prices of new crop 1509 variety of Basmati rice have fallen significantly. Last week, a decrease of Rs 400 per quintal was recorded in its price.

Also read: 20% fees on export of non-basmati crops

Farmers are facing losses

Farmers Welfare Club President Vijay Kapoor has said that millers and exporters are not giving the right price to the farmers. He is putting a lot of pressure on the farmers to buy Basmati at a lower price. According to him, if the government withdraws the minimum export price after October 15, then farmers will get very good profits. He has said that traders of Punjab are purchasing 1509 Basmati rice from Haryana at lower prices. Due to this, farmers are facing huge losses.

Farmers will suffer a loss of Rs 1,000 crore

Basmati rice is cultivated in a total area of ​​1.7 million hectares in Haryana. Of this, about 40 percent share is of 1509 variety. According to Vijay Setia, former president of All India Rice Exporters Association, if Basmati prices continue to rise like this, farmers will suffer a total loss of Rs 1,000 crore.

Let us tell you that due to rapid urbanization, Doon Basmati rice is becoming extinct. According to reports, its cultivation has decreased significantly in the last few years. Doon Basmati, a rice variety known for its rich aroma and distinct taste is disappearing rapidly. According to the recent report of Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board, the area under cultivation of Doon Basmati rice has decreased by 62% percent in the last five years.

According to the report, Doon Basmati rice was being produced in an area of ​​410 hectares in 2018, whereas in 2022 this figure has reduced to just 157 hectares. Not only this, due to the shrinking area of ​​farming, farmers have also started withdrawing their hands. In 2018, 680 farmers were producing Doon Basmati rice. In five years, 163 farmers have stopped cultivating Basmati rice.

What is the aroma and taste of Doon Basmati rice?

Due to its specific agro-climatic conditions, this rice has endemic importance for the Doon Valley. Furthermore, this species of rice grows only in running water. This is a “very delicate” variety of rice. It is a completely organically produced grain, its aroma and taste is lost if chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used.

 Also read: New variety of rice prepared, once sown, crop can be harvested for 8 years

Doon Basmati, apart from being a rare variety of rice, is an important part of the rich heritage of Dehradun. Doon Basmati was developed by rice growers in the Doon Valley. Doon Basmati rice was once grown over a large area, which has now developed into a vast urban area. Now the cultivation of Doon Basmati rice is limited to only a few areas that can be counted on fingers. 

This variety is becoming extinct very rapidly

Specific varieties of rice are becoming extinct rapidly due to many reasons such as decreasing agricultural land due to rapid urbanization. Reasons like lack of marketing facilities and lack of subsidy have brought Doon Basmati rice to the verge of extinction. Various other varieties of Basmati rice are being sold in the name of Doon Basmati. There is a need for the government to take important steps for the conservation and promotion of Doon Basmati.

India is a country that exports rice on a large scale. Many countries including Canada and America had raised questions regarding the decision to curb exports. India has said to the World Trade Organization (WTO) that the ban on the export of rice should not be considered as a ban. It's just a regulation. This was an important step to ensure the food security of India's 1.4 billion people. India on July 20 banned exports of non-Basmati white rice amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis, in a move to boost domestic supplies and control retail prices. Many countries including Canada and America had raised questions on this decision of India.

The Indian government took the decision keeping food security in mind

During the World Trade Organization committee meeting held in Geneva, India said that this decision has been taken keeping food security in mind. India has said that keeping in view the global circumstances, no advance information was given to WTO regarding this decision to ban the majors from manipulating the market conditions. There was a possibility that if the information related to this was given earlier, then big suppliers could have manipulated it by storing it. These measures are temporary and are regularly reviewed based on domestic demand and supply conditions. 

Also read: Stir in America Due to Ban on Export of Non-Basmati Rice by the Central Government

India's approval for exports to needy countries

It has also been said from the Indian side that despite the ban, India has already permitted exports to needy countries. Non-Basmati rice has been exported through NCEL to Bhutan (79,000 tonnes), UAE (75,000 tonnes), Mauritius (14,000 tonnes) and Singapore (50,000 tonnes).

These countries raised questions regarding the ban on rice export by India

For your information, let us tell you that India is the largest rice exporter in the world with more than 40 percent of global exports. Brazil, the European Union, New Zealand, Switzerland, Thailand, Britain, America, Canada, Japan, and Australia had raised many questions regarding the decision to ban India's exports. It was said on behalf of these countries that this has an impact on countries that are heavily dependent on imports of agricultural commodities.

The cost of paddy has significantly increased, with it being sold in many mandis across India at the rate of Rs 7 thousand per quintal, which is three times more than the minimum support price. The price of all the mandis in India can be found, and paddy arrival continues in mandis across the country. In the middle of this, paddy prices have increased again due to continuous demand in the international market. The news is that in many mandis, paddy is being sold at three times the minimum support price which is great news for the farmers but has resulted in inflation for the general public.