India rice output faces biggest drop in nearly 20 yrs
Mumbai: India's rice output is expected to decline this year for the first time in nearly two decades, with yields expected to drop by around 10 million metric tons, according to industry officials. The reduction in production is primarily due to below-normal rainfall during the crop's maturation period, which threatens to cut yields significantly.
B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association, estimates that production could fall to around 144 million tons, marking the biggest decline since 2009/10, when drought caused by El Nino led to a decline in production.
The prolonged dry spell has reduced yield potential in southern and eastern states, with some rice-growing regions receiving rainfall 42% lower than normal. Despite the lower output, India will be able to maintain record-level exports due to massive inventories built up from previous record harvests. State reserves of rice, including unmilled paddy, reached a record 59.6 million tons as of September 1, exceeding the government's target of 10.3 million tons by October 1.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
