Rice export touched 5 million tonnes in 2007-08. The shipments are estimated to have declined to nearly 2.5 million tonnes in 2008-09 apparently due to a ban imposed on non-basmati rice exports.
However, the export is about the same level as last year in terms of value due to higher realisation, a senior government official said.
The export is estimated at $2.5 billion for 2008-09, compared with $2.9 billion in the previous fiscal, he said. Out of the rice worth $2.5 billion exported, basmati accounts for $2 billion, while the share of non-basmati touched $0.5 billion.
India had exported 1.5 million tonnes of basmati in 2008-09, compared with 1 million tonnes the previous fiscal.
However, the export of non-basmati rice slumped to less than one million tonnes against over 4 million tonnes in 2007-08 due to a ban imposed last year to contain surging inflation.
