India’s basmati rice exports are likely to top 2 million tonnes (MT) in the current marketing year ending September 30, boosted by high demand from Iran and inclusion of Pusa-1121 in the premium rice category, industry officials said today.Tilda Riceland Director RS Sehadri said, according to customs data, India exported record 1.8 MT basmati rice in the financial year ended March.“I think exports will grow by at least 10 per cent this year.

HA NOI — The Government announced on Monday it would scrap provincial rice export quotas to free up the market. The Prime Minister called on provincial people’s committees to co-operate with State offices to help enterprises boost rice consumption. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development plan to hold meetings with provincial authorities that export large volumes of rice to find local representatives for the Government’s rice export management team, according to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The National Food Authority (NFA) has been urged to sell more iron-fortified rice (IFR) all over the country to reduce the increasing vitamin A deficiency among children. Herculano Co, president of the Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations (Philcongrains), said NFA is the most logical agency to promote the consumption of IFR since it has 14,581 Tindahan sa Nation (TN) outlets nationwide out of a total of 23,800 market outlets. Philcongrains has been regarded as a pioneer in biofortification and has donated truckloads of IFR to the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) for distribution to depressed communities in the National Capital Region (NCR).