UAE food retailers find new sources for rice after India’s partial ban on exports

UAE food retailers find new sources for rice after India’s partial ban on exports

Dubai: Food retailers and grain traders in the UAE have been able to easily compensate for the drop in rice exports from India, after a ban came into effect on September 9. Making it easy for retailers - and consumers - was the fact that India ban extended only to one specific category of rice - the ‘broken’ variety. “There were a few days just before the ban came into effect when we were concerned about how to replace the broken rice imports from India,” said one of the biggest retail groups in the UAE. “While still, a niche compared to basmati rice, the broken version represented steady sales for us.” India decided to impose the curbs to secure its domestic food essential storage and supplies. Earlier this year, the country had placed a similar curb on wheat exports after the Russia-Ukraine war started, which immediately led to a spike in global wheat prices and supplies. The UAE was one of the markets exempted from India’s decision on wheat. With rice, other rice-growing markets have managed to make up for the shortfall from India, according to Dr. Dhananjay Datar, Chairman and Managing Director at Dubai-based Al Adil Group, a retailer