Data | GM rice controversy likely to have minimal impact on India's exports

Less than 5% of the rice exported from India is destined for the European countries even as many depend on India for a significant share of their rice

New front: The the European Commission’s charge has provoked concern that India’s ₹65,000 crore worth of annual rice exports could be hurt.

About 500 tonnes of broken rice imported from India were claimed to be genetically modified (GM) by a French manufacturer. This has drawn sharp reactions from the European countries as the European Union (EU) does not permit GM rice. An American company recalled four of its product lines fearing GM contamination. Data show that rice exports form the fifth-highest share in terms of India's total exports. India is also the biggest exporter of rice globally, forming over 30% of the world's exports. However, less than 5% of the rice exported from India is destined for the European countries. But for many European countries, India is their primary source for rice imports.

Share of rice

The chart depicts the total export value in $ billion of various commodities exported by India between FY17 and FY22 in the horizontal axis. In the vertical axis, the % share of each commodity in India's overall export value is depicted. Between FY17 and FY22, India exported $40.4 billion worth of rice.

 

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India's share

The chart depicts the total export value of rice of various countries between FY17 and FY20 in the horizontal axis. In the vertical axis, the % share of each nation in the overall rice exports is depicted. India exported over 30% of the global rice exports. India's nearest competitior, Thailand, comes a distant second with a 20% global share.

Europe's share

The tree map depicts the countries to which India exports rice. The bigger the box, the higher the export value. Europe forms a relatively smaller share of the total export value. A very high share goes to Asian and African countries. Over 90% of India's rice exports goes to Asian and African countries. Less than 5% goes to the European countries.

 

Primary source

The tree map depicts India's share in a country's total rice imports. For instance, India forms 25% and 23% of of the total rice imported by the U.K. and the Netherlands respectively, their chief source for the product. Many European countries depend on India for a significant share of their rice imports.

Source: Commerce Ministry data bank, UN Comtrade data