Top Basmati Rice Exporters In India

Table of Contents

• Post-Independence era:
• Top 5 Basmati rice exporting countries such as:-
• Growth in Data Reports 
• Some of the leading Basmati rice exporters in India:-
• Facts about Basmati rice:
• Cultivation season for rice:
• State of production of Indian Basmati rice in India
• Conclusion

India is the leading country of Basmati rice exporters and is likely to pick up the threads of dominance in the global Basmati Rice market. Basmati rice exports in India crossed the value of 4.62 million tons in the latest year.

In the view of trade experts, the exports of Basmati & non-basmati rice will also exceed most probably this year in comparison to the previous year by the record of 13.08 million tons. 

In the covid pandemic situation, the demand for Basmati rice and Non-Basmati rice has grown up as many countries purchased the cereal amidst supply issues to ensure the proper food supplies.

Worldwide, India stands first in the rice area and second in rice production. Basmati rice exporters in India contribute 21.5 per cent to global rice production. About 40-45 per cent of the area for foodgrain crops is used for the production of Basmati rice & non-Basmati rice.

Post-Independence era:

During the post-independence era, many unparalleled developments have taken place as a result of the green revolution. The rapid adoption and evolution of high-yielding rice varieties in the late 1960s came up with phenomenal growth and enhanced the per capita availability of rice, despite a doubling of the population, a great accomplishment of India.

Top 5 Basmati rice exporting countries such as:-

1. India
2. Thailand
3. Pakistan
4. United States
5. Vietnam

Recently, the data that has been released based on the Basmati Rice association, in which, India has beaten Thailand to become the largest and leading Basmati rice exporter in the world. According to the reports, India has exported 10.23 million tons of Basmati rice in the year 2015 in comparison to Thailand’s 9.5 million tons.

Growth in Data Reports

The growth in such areas was from 36.44 million in 1967-68 to 42.84 million in 1995-96, representing an annual growth rate of 0.39 per cent. 

During the same period, production increased from 37.61 million tonnes to 77.0 million tonnes, a growth rate of 1.76 per cent per year. 

These are the major things (production & productivity) that have enabled the Indian exports to attain and sustain the self-sufficiency in rice since the early 1980s.

Nevertheless, India had not been the highest Basmati rice exporting country for a long time until the mid- 1980s. Even, the shares of India in the world rice trade, mainly in small-volume exports of highly prized basmati rice, was insignificant (5 per cent). 

It was in the time of the 1980s that the quantum of export of Basmati rice began to grow from 110 000 tonnes in 1978-79 to 890 613 in 1994-95, second only to Thailand.

However, concrete strategies and pragmatic policies are required in order to take advantage of the new trade opportunities in the GATT period (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). 

Some of the leading Basmati rice exporters in India:-

• ITC – It is one of the greatest integrated agribusiness enterprises with significant presence in the market.

• SK exports – One of the leading Indian rice exporters in India and Basmati rice miller in India, provides Basmati rice of superior quality without any compromise according to the client’s needs.

• Gautam General Trading – It has 76 plus years of experience as a basmati rice exporter 

in India and it offers a great variety of Indian Basmati rice.

• Aashirvad International – It is a Basmati rice exporting company along with a rice processing plant, ensures quality and quantity.

Indian basmati rice, known for its delicious taste and aroma and most preferable prices. India has various Basmati rice exporters having all the varieties of Basmati rice with the best quality. To keep the essence of Basmati rice, it has to go through many processes. 

Facts about Basmati rice:

• Two major varieties of Basmati rice grow globally i.e., (a) Oryza sativa indica and, (b) Oryza sativa japonica. Then, there are various  varieties including wild rice, which make an Oryza sativa complex.
• It is a truth that the grass and its edible part grain is its seed. The dehulled rice grain is covered by an outer layer, known as pericarp and those rice called Brown rice. It is removed during the process of milling and polishing.
• Basmati rice is a staple crop that is enriched in carbohydrates (Starch) and less effective in protein. 
• The rice straw is used for cattle feed, also used in thatching roofs and for preparation of hats, mats, ropes in industries. 
• Rice husk is used as a consumption source for animals, also as for paper making.
• Rice bran is used in poultry farms to feed and defatted bran used in preparation of biscuits, that is rich in protein.
• And, In soap industries the rice bran oil is used widely. People also prefer refined oil for as a cooling medium such as cotton seed oil or corn oil.

India is the largest producer of white and brown basmati rice, accounting for 20% of all world rice populations. The number of Basmati rice exporters who produce Basmati rice that is the eminent crop of India and is the staple food grain for the eastern & northern side of the population. 

Cultivation season for rice:

• Autumn rice – It is also a Pre-Kharif rice sown during May to August; and will harvest in the month of September and October, accounting for 7-8% of total rice grown in India.

• Winter rice – It is sown in June-July and harvested in November and December. This accounted for 84% rice cultivation in India.

• Summer rice – It is also known as Rabi rice which is sown from November to February and the time of harvesting is March to June. This accounted for about 8-9 % of total rice cultivation in India.

Since the 1950s, the Indian basmati rice exports have increased by 350 per cent. Mostly, the increment is based on the yields; the number of hectares increased only 0 per cent during this period.

The rice production of the country had declined to 89.14 million tonnes in the 2009-10 crop year (July to June) from the record of 99.18 million tonnes in the previous year due to the drought that affected half of the country to a great extent. India could have achieved the record of rice production of 100 million tonnes in the 2010-11 crop year. After that, India has achieved a rice production record of 104.32 million tonnes in the 2011-12 crop year.

State of production of Indian Basmati rice in India

In India, there are several states that produce variants of Basmati rice because it can be grown in almost all types of soil, that is why nearly various Indian states have areas under rice cultivation. 

The top producers are West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Two crops of rice are raised in a year in West Bengal, both the summer and monsoon seasons provide the ideal conditions for rice exports in the state. 

Thus, Basmati rice is considered the Kharif crop of India, grown in rain-fed areas with heavy rainfall as well as in irrigated areas. In regards to the soil, the Basmati rice can be grown in both the uplands and lowlands. 

Conclusion

The analysis clearly indicates that India is the major Basmati rice exporter country and its influence on the global rice trade will be significant. Keeping in sight the importance of Indian Basmati rice in the national export items, some more concerted efforts are required to be made for further enhancement in Basmati rice exports.