Synopsis

Six countries, including the US, UK, and Japan, have asked India about its plans to lift or ease the ban on non-basmati white rice exports. At the WTO, Japan also inquired about India’s electricity subsidy for farmers. Over 40 questions have been posed to India regarding its export restriction measures since 2022.

Six countries, including the US, UK and Japan, have sought a response from India on when it plans to lift or ease its ban on export of non-basmati white rice, and whether it is considering replacing it with an export duty, an official told ET.

(WTO), Japan has also sought details on India’s electricity subsidy for farmers, according to the official, while Canada has asked whether New Delhi had considered the food security of importing countries at the time of imposing export restrictions on wheat.

Ottawa has also sought details on the role of agricultural exporting enterprises such as National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation of India (NAFED) on the value and volume of their exports, export prices and destination.

“Over 40 questions have been posed to India about its export restriction measures since 2022,” the official told ET.

In July last year, India had prohibited the export of non-basmati white rice but had said exports would be allowed on the basis of permission granted to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on requests from those countries. It has exported rice to Nepal, Mauritius, Namibia and some other African nations. The government had prohibited wheat exports in May 2022 fearing a shortage in the domestic market after an unexpected heat wave hit crops.

The official cited earlier said Australia and Canada have inquired about the eligibility criteria of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana–which promises income guarantee to farmers–and how they may have changed over time. They have also asked India about the support given by states such as Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to farmers.

On the scale of India’s input subsidies and the rapid increase in expenditure, Japan said the increase in electricity subsidies seems disproportionate to the actual electricity price, according to the official.

India gave input subsidies worth $48.13 billion to its low-income or resource-poor producers for the marketing year from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023.

As per the agricultural census for the year 2015-16, 99.43% of farm holdings are of low-income or resource poor farmers.

Published Date: September 19, 2024