Experts wonder on the possibility of such a rejection as India does not grow any GM food.

By Prabhudatta Mishra

Exporters and experts have expressed ‘surprise’ over rejection of Indian rice by China on the ground of containing genetically modified organisms (GMO) wondering how it is possible when India does not grow any GM food crop and there is a court order banning manufacture, sale, and import of GM foods.

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the legal body to allow commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops in India, in October 2022 for the first time allowed release of a GM food crop — mustard hybrid DMH-11. However, the Supreme Court stayed its commercial release, though allowed ICAR to conduct trials.

“The environmental release of mustard hybrid DMH-11 for its seed production and testing as per existing ICAR guidelines and other extant rules/regulations prior to commercial release,” the GEAC had said.

FSSAI yet to notify

Secondly, in a hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) in Rajasthan High Court last year, India’s food safety regulator FSSAI had said that GM foods could not yet be regulated as mandated under Section 22(2) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act). The High Court has banned manufacture, sale, and import of GM foods in India until strict regulatory standards are established.

As the FSSAI plans to regulate GM Food in India, it had issued for public comments the Food Safety and Standards (Genetically Modified Foods) Regulations from time to time, but it is yet to notify it.

Though in terms of quantity of export to China is not much, as India had exported a total of over 14 million tonnes (mt) of non-Basmati rice to all countries in 2024-25, but China’s decision to open its market for India in 2020-21 (with 331,571 tonnes of rice trade) after it removed those curbs was seen as an opportunity to expand.

Impact unlikely

India had exported 180,805 tonnes worth $79.43 million of non-Basmati rice to China in 2024-25 and during April-January of current fiscal it was already higher at 186,013 tonnes, though in value terms it was lower at $65.59 million. As China had restrictions on Indian rice through non-tariff barriers, the export was very less until 2019-20 – only 567 tonnes in 2019-20.

Experts do not see China’s decision to impact Indian rice in any other country as they consider it more as a bargaining point amid the geo-political conflicts after India became the world’s largest rice producer, relegating China to second position in 2024-25.

Since the first 10-month import of rice from India is higher than the whole of 2024-25, China may wanted to stop it, said an exporter wondering the reason of GMO contamination looks ‘bizarre’.

Former Agriculture Commissioner of India JS Sandhu said: “The ICAR can certify that there is no GMO rice variety recommended for cultivation.”

Published Date: March 26, 2026