India makes pitch to export rice to China; urges it to open up its $2 bn rice market

The China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Products (CFNA) partnered with the Indian Embassy for the event.

With world class quality and cost competitiveness, India has emerged as the biggest exporter of rice in the world, Prashant Lokhande, Economic and Commercial Counsellor at the Indian Embassy, said outlining the nature of the bilateral trade and prospects of exports of Indian rice.

Thanking the Chinese authorities for opening up non-basmati rice imports from India, he hoped to have significant quantities of rice shipped to China at the earliest to cater to $1.5 billion to $2 billion rice import market of China, the statement from the embassy said.

Bian Zhenhu, the president of CFNA, expressed satisfaction on the growth of bilateral trade between the two countries.

A K Gupta of the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, said that though India exports more than 12 million MT of rice every year, none comes to China.

He appealed Chinese importers to try rich varieties of Indian rice which can suit all tastes and requirements including as ingredient in the processed food, he said.