Cereal shipments were down by 25% at $7.80 billion

In volume terms, basmati exports were up 11 per cent at 3.54 mt during April-December 2023 over 3.19 mt in the year-ago period | Photo Credit: Photography By Tonelson

Basmati rice exports have shown a 19 per cent growth in dollar terms at $3.97 billion in the first three quarters of the current financial year on demand from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In the same period last year, basmati exports were $3.33 billion, as per the latest provisional data released by the Agricultural and Processed Foods Exports Development Authority (APEDA).

In volume terms, basmati exports were up 11 per cent at 3.54 million tonnes (mt) during April-December 2023 over 3.19 mt in the year-ago period.

Shipments of non-basmati rice, which are currently restricted, fell by 28 per cent in value to $3.34 billion over $4.66 billion a year ago. In volume terms, non-basmati shipments were down to 8.34 mt against 13.17 mt a year ago. Overall, cereal shipments were down by a quarter at $7.80 billion compared with $10.37 billion as the government restricted shipments of non-basmati rice and wheat to ensure higher domestic supplies and control price rise.

Overall shipments down

The overall exports of agri and processed products monitored by APEDA were down 9.14 per cent at $17.88 billion against $19.68 billion a year ago.

Except cereals and cashew, all other categories such as fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, livestock products and seeds witnessed a growth during the period.

Among livestock products, buffalo meat shipments saw an increase of 15.61 per cent at $2.78 billion, while poultry products registered a growth of 36 per cent at $130 million. However, dairy products saw a decline of around 31 per cent at $327 million from corresponding last year’s $471 million.

Pulses exports were up 4 per cent at $454 million ($436 million in same period last year), while processed vegetables registered a growth of around 24 per cent at $454 m($366 m). The processed fruits and juice shipments were up around 4 per cent at $696 m ($670 m).

Groundnut exports were up 7.6 per cent at $606 m ($563 m), while guargum shipments registered a steep decline of 20 per cent at $394 m ($496 m). Cashew shipments were flat at $249 m.

Published Date: February 14, 2024