Rice export sees record hike during lockdown
   Date :03-Jun-2020

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By Niraj Chinchkhede :
 
While the lockdown on account of novel coronavirus is portraying a gloomy picture of the business scenario, there is one sector which is defying the trend. It is the export business. In the changed global market conditions, the region’s exporters are enjoying overwhelming demand for rice as many fear-gripped nations are buying huge quantity of the commodity for the past two to three months. With the industrial activities had come to a grinding halt recently because of the lockdown, the export from the region could have impacted severely.
 
However, rice not only survived the EXIM trade during the crisis, but its export from the region has also witnessed a record growth. In the normal course, MIHAN and Borkhedi ICD used to export rice of about 1500 TUs per month. But due to coronavirus demand for the commodity has touched 3,500 TUs per month mark. But with the limited infrastructure available at the ICDs here, the exporters could ship rice of about 2,500 TUs in the month of May which a record. According to the sources, the special variety of rice known as parboiled rice (also called as converted rice) which is in great demand in many African and Gulf countries, contributed nearly 80 per cent to the total exports registered from the Inland Container Depot (ICD) at MIHAN and Borkhedi in last two to three months.
 
Initially, the exporters thought that the increased demand for rice was due to Ramazam. But later on they realised that apart from the holy month, people in many African and Gulf countries have been buying the commodity in the backdrop of the uncertainty developed due to the coronavirus crisis. While parboiled rice has been enjoying increased demand, it production in this part of the country has also registered significant hike. “We have enough stock of quality parboiled rice with us,” said the source.
 
The commodity is being exported from the region between February and May. But in the current situation, the exporters are hopeful to continue the supply till June end. It is worth mentioning here that parboiled rice is grown in places like Gondia, Bhandara, Chindwara and parts of Chhattisgarh besides Nagpur. Despite repeated attempts, Santosh Kumar Singh - Chief Manager of Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR), could not be contacted. But sources said that the CONCOR is struggling to meet the increased demand of empty containers to facilitate export of the commodity. Prakash Khemka of Bharat Shipping Agency told The Hitavada that the demand for parboiled rice has gone manifold in recent past. “Almost all the exporters based here have been getting orders to supply this variety of rice,” he said.