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After a year, India’s rice export restrictions continue to fuel high prices

Jul 30th, 2024 • by JOSEPH GLAUBER AND ABDULLAH MAMUN

In July 2023, the Indian government announced export restrictions on non-basmati white rice. Coming after earlier export limits on other types of rice, the action was taken in part due to a strengthening El Niño that threatened to limit rice production and fuel rising food inflation—a potential political liability for the Modi government as it faced upcoming general elections in spring 2024.

Reviving public extension for climate-resilient agriculture: Lessons and insights from India, Indonesia, and Nepal

Jun 16th, 2024 • by Suresh Babu, Yogendra Kumar Karki, Aniq Fadhillah, and Nandita Srivastava

With global temperatures already 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, climate change is having major impacts on agriculture that fall disproportionately on the Global South—from crops, to livestock, to aquaculture. Agricultural systems endure frequent heat waves, flooding, and drought—often all in one season. Climate-related extreme weather events such as intense rainstorms pose a serious threat to crops.

Global rice markets face stresses from El Niño, India export restrictions

Oct 5th, 2023 • by Joseph Glauber and Abdullah Mamun

On July 20, India banned exports of non-basmati price (covered in our blog post of July 25)—aiming to cool rising domestic prices—a move many feared would drive rising global prices higher. Since then, that trend has continued: The benchmark Thai rice price has risen 14%, Viet Nam rice prices are up 22%, and India white rice prices are up 12% (Figure 1). In August, in an effort to prevent exporters from undermining the ban, India put a surcharge of 20% on exports of parboiled rice and instituted a minimum sales price for basmati rice.

Figure 1

India’s edible oil imports from Nepal: Policy implications of current tariffs and free trade agreements

Sep 17th, 2023 • by ABUL KAMAR, DEVESH ROY, AND SHAHIDUR RASHID

India’s import demand for edible oils has been significant over the past decade, with imports averaging $11.6 billion annually. In 2021, prior to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India imported a staggering $17.1 billion of edible oils (Figure 1), dominated by palm oil ($9.6 billion), soybean oil ($4.8 billion), and sunflower/safflower oils ($2.4 billion).