Last Updated on August 14, 2023 by HBW2
Recently the Indian government has banned the export of non-basmati white rice, as per Directorate General of Foreign Trade notification on 20.07.2023. The ban could impact as much as 80 percent of India’s rice exports. The last time such a ban was put in place was in 2007 and then again in 2008, contributing to skyrocketing world rice prices and further exacerbating food insecurity in countries reliant upon rice imports. V. Krishna Rao, president of India’s Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters, “The government is holding more stocks than needed for welfare schemes. There is no need to restrict exports.” It is assumed that the ban will not retain for a long time.
Rice is the staple food in Indian sub continent. But the demand of rice is also high in other continents. India is the largest exporter of rice in the world. So the decision will affect global grain market. India exports two major categories of rice. These are basmati and non basmati. The varieties of non basmati rice are huge in number. Here some prominent varieties of non basmati rice are discussed.
Rice other than basmati rice is called non basmati rice. In fact, basmati rice equals to only 1% production of the total rice grown in India. Non Basmati rice varieties are widely grown across different states of India. The varieties comprise of small grain, medium grain and long grain, scented short grain etc.
Non-Basmati Rice Varieties:
PR11 non-basmati rice
PR14 non-basmati rice
Parmal non-basmati rice
Round non-basmati rice
Jeera rice
Sona Masuri rice
IR 8 rice
Matta Rice
Tulaipanji rice
Gobindobhog rice
Lets us take a brief of these non-basmati rice varieties:
PR 11 non-basmati rice is grown in the northern state of India like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and UP. It has less starch and easy to digest. It has a uniform grain size and upon cooking it does not stick. Due to nominal prices many times it is used as a substitute to basmati rice in delicacies like biryani and fried rice. It is processed under the experts who provide special care to rice and it is tested different parameters of the food industry.
PR 14 Non-Basmati Rice
PR 14 is long-grain premium rice of the Non-Basmati Rice category, grown in the Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh region of India. It is rich with natural aroma and appetizing taste. It comes with an average grain length of 6.7 MM to 6.9 MM. The elongation ratio of the grain is 1.5 times if cooked well.
Parmal Non-Basmati Rice
Parmal non-basmati rice holds its ability and flexibility upon cooking and never loses its nutrients. Besides this, the grains become fluffy, separated, and non-sticky after cooking. Also, its aroma and delicious taste can mesmerize food lovers. Varieties of dishes and cuisines are prepared across the world. This rice contains carbohydrates, fiber, and essential minerals, thus this rice type becomes the essential meal of daily diet planners. Moreover, this rice is produced organically; under favorable agro climate conditions with effective use of natural fertilizers.
Round Non-Basmati Rice
Round non basmati rice is fast-cooking, soft, and very sticky. Upon cooking, this rice emits starch and absorbs more water than usual. This kind of rice is suitable for cooking both sweet and spicy dishes. It is a good choice for preparing rice porridge or pudding. Some popular dishes can be prepared that include Spanish rice for paella, glutinous rice for sushi and rice balls, and risotto rice for risotto. The rice grains have short, plump, almost round kernels.
Jeera Rice
This is a pure and affordable brand of non-basmati rice preferred by the rice lover due to its delicate flavor, soft texture, and aromatic fragrance. Due to sticky nature, Jeera rice takes less time to cook and during the cooking it releases a pleasant aroma. Moreover, Jeera rice is grown organically without using any pesticides. It is processed by using modern technology under the strict supervision of an experienced team. That is the reason the final products that obtained, is free from dust, pebbles and other unwanted particles.
Sona Masuri Rice
It is considered to be the most significant non-basmati rice as it contains less starch and is easily digestible. Sona Masuri rice, this type of non-basmati rice is a combination of two different rice species Sona and Masuri. Popular for its sweetness and soft texture, this variety of rice feels like love at first bite. It is famous for preparing dishes like porridge, Pongal, biryani and many more dishes.
IR 8 Rice
Great taste, purity and longer shelf life are some of the attributes that make our IR8 Full Grain Raw Rice highly popular. It is processed using advanced techniques under the supervision of skilled professionals. Raw grains, however, are not edible and cannot be digested. These must be sprouted or fried/boiled and cooked for human consumption.
Matta Rice
Kerala Matta is a generic term used for parboiled red rice grown in Kerala. It is also called Kerala Red Rice or Palakkadan Matta Rice. Some also call it Rose Matta. This red rice is medium size grained, bold and plump even after cooking. It is very popular in Kerala and tastes delicious with all Kerala curries. Once you eat it, you will come back to it! A small quantity of Kerala Matta Rice is enough to satiate you. If you want to have a controlled diet and do not want to overeat, semi-polished varieties of red rice like Kerala Matta are an ideal option.
Tulaipanji rice
Tulaipanji is known for its aroma, lightness and jasmine-white appearance when cooked. ‘Tulaipanji’ is a non-basmati indigenous aromatic rice of West Bengal. It has medium-slender, white kernels with desired cooking quality and pleasant aroma. One of the main feature of Tulaipanji rice is that, the grains can retain the aroma for around a year or more. Delicacies like Pulao, Payesh, Biryani can be made with this rice. Good quality Tulaipanji rice grows specially grows in North Dinajpur and and some pockets of Dakshin Dinajpur districts of West Bengal.
Traditionally, Tulaipanji is grown without using any fertilizer in mid-land to high-land condition and preferably in jute harvested fields, after rainy season during the August–December period. Low soil fertility and moisture stress generally prevail in the growing field and believed to be the key factor behind the aroma. Inorganic fertilizers are generally not used due to the reduction in aroma and other qualitative parameters. Tulaipanji rice posses GI tag status. So it is very special and unique. It can easily replace any recipe made by basmati rice.
Gobindobhog rice
A small-grained fragrant rice from West Bengal, Gobindobhog is categorised as a special grain and it is chosen for offering of Lord Krishna on Janmashthami, that is why it is named as ‘Gobindobhog’. It tastes absolutely delectable when prepared as payesh (the Bengali version of rice kheer), and is widely used for auspicious offerings, pujas and festivals. This variety of rice is primarily cultivated in east Burdwan district of West Bengal. In August 2017, the Gobinobhog rice was allotted the GI tag of West Bengal by the Government of India.
If you have any opinion about this export ban on non basmati rice. Please comment.