ASIA/INDIA – Rice production increases: “The problem of pesticides persists”

New Delhi – Global rice prices have fallen by 35% in one year and are at their lowest level since 2017 . This phenomenon was primarily triggered by the fact that India, the world’s largest exporter, resumed exports of non-Basmati rice worldwide, lifting the export restrictions it had imposed last year to curb the growth of domestic inflation and ensure supplies for the Indian population. “This is certainly positive because, on the one hand, it restores balance in the global market for agricultural commodities. And it is a commendable step on the part of the Indian central government,” Sister Mariola D’Souza of the Order of the Little Flower of Bethany , economist and food security expert, told Fides. “On the other hand, one cannot ignore the issue of cultivation methods and production quality, which is not insignificant: Indian rice production clearly faces the problem of pesticide use, which harms both the product, the soil, and the people who consume the rice. This is an issue that must be addressed at the federal level and at the level of the various Indian states, as it has a significant impact on exports,” she notes. Against this backdrop, the government of Uttar Pradesh, following the Indian state of Punjab, has now imposed a three-month ban on the use of eleven pesticides in the cultivation of basmati rice, blocking its access to major foreign markets. The state of Haryana has also announced its intention to ban pesticides and allow Indian basmati rice to meet strict foreign standards. India has 47.7 million hectares of rice-growing area. Despite being the world’s second-largest rice producer, it struggles with low productivity and environmental problems. The government has implemented agricultural policies to improve yields, increase water efficiency, and diversify crops. Asia accounts for almost 90% of global rice production and consumption. For this reason, rice remains a highly politicized commodity on this continent. Price collapse threatens the profitability of producers in countries where production is lower than India. The Philippines, one of the world’s largest rice importers, suspended imports for 60 days starting September 1 to support local producers. Indonesia has adopted a food sovereignty strategy that favors domestic production to reduce dependence on imports. Among countries pursuing protectionist policies, Japan also maintains strict import quotas to protect domestic rice production.

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