Rice millers demand Centre to lift ban on export of broken rice

SIRMA demanded the Central Government to lift ban on export of broken rice and abolish the 20 export duty on a few rice varieties

Hyderabad: South India Rice Millers Association (SIRMA) demanded the Central Government to lift ban on export of broken rice and abolish the 20 export duty on a few rice varieties, citing these decisions were against taken the interests of farmers, especially from Telangana.

There was good demand for Telangana Sona Masoori world over. Imposing 20 percent export duty on such varieties would result in farmers suffering a loss of about Rs.600 per quintal due to export duty component, said SIRMA president T Devender Reddy.

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Addressing media persons here on Saturday, he said there was no restriction on export of basmati rice but there was regulation on raw rice export. This would adversely affect the farmers from Telangana, he said.

Like GI registration for Basmati rice variants in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and other States, Telangana too should obtain GI registration for its Sona Masoori variant, he suggested.
Compared to previous years, a bumper production is expected this season from Telangana as there is an increase in paddy cultivation area in the State.

Already, the Central Government’s decisions have resulted in prices declining by about 10 per cent. This was not a right move considering the fact that huge stocks would arrive for procurement in a few weeks, he explained.

The Central Government wanted the State Government’s to prevail upon the farmers in taking up alternate crops cultivation and to desist from sowing paddy. Citing depleting stocks in the FCI godowns, the Centre cannot impose 20 percent export duty on a few varieties or export on broken rice, he pointed out.