Prices of parboiled rice surge 12 per cent as global demand picks up

Kolkata: Prices of non-basmati parboiled rice like IR 64 have surged nearly 12% in the past ten days, as markets such as Africa and West Asia are heavily buying this variety of rice from India to meet their domestic demand. Overseas demand for parboiled rice has shot up following the Centre's decision to ban the export of raw, white rice on July 20, given apprehensions among global buyers that India may ban export of parboiled rice as well. Industry executives said if the government does not put an export duty on non-basmati parboiled rice, then the IR 64 variety, which is consumed by the common people, will go out of the reach of the people. Parboiled rice is one that has been partially boiled in the husk at the paddy stage and has a yellowish hue.

"Since the ban on the export of raw, white rice, the demand for parboiled rice has seen an upward trend in Africa and the Middle East. In the Middle East, many companies and agencies are buying this rice for feeding their workers," said Suraj Agarwal, CEO of Tirupati Agritrade, which markets and exports rice under the brand name RiceVilla. India has been the world's largest exporter of rice since 2012. Currently, it exports more rice than the combined shipments of the next three largest exporters - Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan.

BV Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association, said after the procurement of paddy starts, the government might assess the supply situation by December and consider lifting the ban. "There is a warehousing problem at the Food Corporation of India as it is running out of space. So government will have to take some steps," he said.