In a major boost to India’s rice exports potential, especially from eastern region, a consignment was officially flagged off to the Hai Phong port in Vietnam from the Paradip International Cargo Terminal (PICT) on Tuesday.
This is the first time in history of Paradip Port that non-basmati rice was exported. The Sarala Foods group shipped 20 containers of rice. About 500 more containers would be dispatched over the next three months to Vietnam. “The rice exports through PICT would hugely boost India’s exports of non-basmati rice to south-east countries while boosting income of at least two lakh farmers from Odisha and adjoining states,†said Agricultural and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA) Chairman Dr M Angamuthu after inaugurating flagging off ceremony. The APEDA has promoted rice exports through collaborations with various stakeholders in the value chains. The Government has set up Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF) under the aegis of the APEDA.
The REPF has representations from rice industry, exporters, officials from APEDA, Ministry of Commerce and Directors of Agriculture from major rice-producing States including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
