India’s Non-Basmati Rice Exports to Bangladesh – India Export Data

17 August 2020

India has resumed trade with Bangladesh through the West Bengal border after Coronavirus lockdown, which brings hopes among India’s non-basmati rice exporters of getting fresh orders from the neighbouring country. According to India export data, Bangladesh is India’s 6^th largest export destination of non-basmati rice. India shipped non-basmati rice worth USD 96.8 million to Bangladesh in 2018. Let’s put some light on India’s non-basmati rice exports to Bangladesh and analyze India export statistics of non-basmati rice.

Trade with Bangladesh Opens Doors for India’s Non-Basmati Rice

Coronavirus or Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted international trade and hit economies of major countries including India. Due to coronavirus spread, India stopped trade with Bangladesh during lockdown. Now India has resumed trade with Bangladesh through the West Bengal border. As a result, Indian exporters of non-basmati rice are hoping to get fresh orders from the neighbouring country. Trucks carrying rice are currently going through the Petrapole-Benapole border, fulfilling orders which were placed prior to the Covid-19 outbreak.

According to All India Rice Exporters’ Association, Bangladesh largely buys non-basmati rice and it will import rice from India this year. The demand of non-basmati rice in Bangladesh has increased as people are staying indoors due to coronavirus pandemic. As a result, Bangladesh will import more rice from India to meet the rising demand.

India’s Non-Basmati Rice Exports to Bangladesh in Last 5 Years

According to India customs data, India’s exports of non-basmati rice recorded the highest value of USD 157.9 million in 2014 since last 5 years. In 2018, India shipped non-basmati rice worth USD 96.8 million to Bangladesh. Below given chart and table shows dollar amount of India’s non-basmati rice exports to Bangladesh in the last five years.

Bangladesh Ranked 6 as India’s Export Destination of Non-Basmati Rice

Bangladesh stood at 6^th position as India’s export destination of non-basmati rice in 2018. According to India shipment data, India shipped non-basmati rice worth USD 96.8 million to Bangladesh during 2018-19, which accounted for 6.6% to overall value of shipments. However, during 2017-18, Bangladesh was the key market for Indian non-basmati rice and accounted for 21% of the total non-basmati exports in value of terms. That percentage was high in that year as Bangladesh was hit by devastating floods, which led to crop losses in that year. Below given chart and table will give you an idea about exports of Indian non-basmati rice to Bangladesh and other top countries.

India is the top exporter country of rice in the world. Bangladesh and other countries are importing more rice from India and trying to create a buffer stock of rice meeting the rising demand of rice in this coronavirus pandemic. Besides Bangladesh, India’s non-basmati rice exporters have a good chance to export to Thailand and Vietnam, where non-basmati paddy crop has failed.