RAIPUR: India’s rice exports jumped 19.4 percent last year to the second-highest on record after New Delhi lifted all export curbs, making shipments more competitive, government and industry officials told Reuters on Saturday.
An improved flow of rice from the world’s largest exporter of the grain curbed shipments from rivals Thailand and Vietnam and drove prices in Asia to their lowest in nearly a decade, easing costs for poor consumers in Africa and other regions.
“Indian shipments rebounded quickly after the government lifted export restrictions” in March, said a government official, who asked not to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
As supplies improved with record production, India removed the last of the export curbs imposed in 2022 and 2023.
Exports rose to 21.55 million metric tons from 18.05 million in 2024, near the 2022 record of 22.3 million tons, the official said.
