The strike by the rice exporters in Haryana against decision of the Union government to keep minimum export price on basmati rice exports at $1,200 per tonne has severely hit basmati procurement in all grain markets in the state as well in the country The exporters said that no procurement of basmati paddy will took place in all grain markets till the an office bearer of government roll back their decision. Meanwhile, rice millers as well as basmati growers also extended support to the exporters. Amarjit Chhabra, president of Rice Millers and Dealers Association in Haryana and Saurabh Gupta an office bearer said that we will not purchase basmati paddy until the issue of exporters going on with the Centre will be resolved. However, the government procurement of paddy continued in grain makets, but very few farmers came to the local grain markets during the past two day due to suspension of purchase by the private buyers, secretary, market committees said.
The Arhtiyas Association of Haryana has also extended support to the exporters. Vijay Setia, former president of All India Rice Exporters Association said, none of the exporters had purchased basmati. He said they would continue the suspension of buying basmati rice unless the decision was taken back by the government in the centre. He said the Union government had imposed the control order on basmati export at $1,200 per tonne on August 25 this year, while there were many basmati varieties which were exported between $850 and $1,050 per tonne. Information reveals, no private purchase of paddy took place at most of the prominent grain markets in Haryana state in past couple of days due to the ongoing rift among rice-millers and the government over minimum export price control order, but very few farmers arrived in the grain markets as the ‘arhtiyas’ had informed the farmers about non-purchase of paddy by private buyers, since premium varieties of paddy are purchased by the private buyers who offer rates much higher than the minimum support price fixed by the government.
Information reveals that 45 lakh ton rice is being exported from the country every years, which include nearly 25 lakh ton rice being exported only from Haryana state. According to experts, decision by the government will severely affect the sale of 1121, 1718, 1509, ‘Sarbati’ and few other varieties of rice in grain markets.
