Rice import from India: some realities

In 2017, a huge amount of rice was foreign made from India and chiefly from the circumscribing territory of West Bengal. Correct figures of imported rice from India are not known yet and, most presumably, it won't be referred to and, as usual, inexact figures are the reason for following the pattern in Indo-Bangladesh exchange rice. One is left with this impression in light of the experience of rice imports from India amid 1998 surges. 

In 1998, government figures demonstrated 4.2 million tons of rice were transported in from India. Of this sum, 2.2 million tons were transported in to compensate for the lack made by surges and 2 million tons to cover the standard yearly shortage in residential rice generation. Around then, the main land port of passage of Indian rice into Bangladesh was Benapole. Bangladesh's traditions specialist at this checkpoint gave figures of Indian rice imports that don't coordinate authority government insights. At the point when the Indian national bank (as sole specialist of opening letter of credit) was drawn closer to confirm which gauges were right, it gave an alternate figure. It demonstrates uncontrolled fringe exchange assumed a noteworthy part in section of Indian rice into Bangladesh. It is likely this situation may likewise play out in current circumstance. 

A year ago when cost of coarse rice was rising quickly, I had the chance to watch the coarse rice closeout frameworks in Bardhaman area of West Bengal sell off place and the cost at closeout was Rs 20-21 for each kg subject to accessibility of rice in the sale put. At times the value rose to Rs 22-23 amid short supply. The cost of rice in the nearby market of West Bengal around then was Rs 28-30/kg. Cost of one kg was proportionate to Bangladeshi Tk 26-27. In the neighborhood market of Bangladesh rice cost amid a similar period was Tk 42-43. I was informed that after achieving Benapole fringe rice cost increments to Rs 26-27 for each kg, which is equal to Tk 34-35. Cost of one kg rice inside Bangladesh until the point when it achieves nearby market expanded Tk 9-10 taka. The issue is here whether there is any extension to diminish the cost of transportation and treatment of the stock amid travel so as lower the retail cost of imported rice in nearby markets. 

India's aggregate rice generation in 2016-2017 (October/September) was 107-107.5 million tons against the request of 99 million tons. It implies India has a most extreme exportable overflow of 8.5 million tons of rice, of which 4.5 million tons are Basmati rice. At the end of the day, just 4 million tons of customary rice is accessible for send out. As India keeps up dear amicable relations with different nations to facilitate its geo-vital interests, Bangladesh ought to be aware of a stark reality that India can't be taken as allowed as the sole wellspring of bringing in rice. Also, India has its some claim inner issues in various states in taking care of rice issues. 

For instance, the focal legislature of India asked for West Bengal state government to furnish it with some amount of rice for supply in other rice-deficiency conditions of India. As far as it matters for its, the West Bengal government has its late morning supper projects and supply of rice to the general population living beneath the destitution line. The West Bengal express government's program of sponsoring rice to destitute individuals is bigger in scope than the focal government's program. 

Notwithstanding, the state government has been confronting a few issues to run these two projects. The arrangement of acquirement in West Bengal is as per the following: agriculturists pitch their paddy to the mill operators and mill operators pitch processed rice to the legislature. In any case, this year, because of higher cost in nearby market, agriculturists are not giving the paddy to the mill operators. The framework is that mill operators should purchase rice just from genuine ranchers (government gives character card to the genuine agriculturists) and not from people other than agriculturists. Ranchers are not content with this approach on the grounds that all the time mill operators don't purchase agriculturists' rice saying quality isn't great, dampness substance are high and absence of cash to the mill operators and deferrals in getting the money for mill operator checks got from the legislature by pitching processed rice to the administration as government has no cash in their record. In these conditions, ranchers bring about misfortunes in labor and transportation costs for conveying paddy to the mill operators. Media reports say in a few spots, to keep away from this circumstance, a gathering of ranchers pitch their rice to the go betweens and guarantee that he/she is approved by agriculturists to pitch their rice to the mill operators. This framework additionally did not work because of untruthfulness of the mediators. 

Due to above circumstances both social security net projects of the state government are under risk and government has next to no alternatives to defeat this circumstance. Be that as it may, one of the choices might be to decrease fare of rice to Bangladesh in future. 

Different focuses to consider for long run rice import from India is that the MSP (least help cost) of rice has been expanded 1.5 times of the cost of creation and will be powerful since October 2018. It has been declared in the current spending plan of 2018-2019. It might cause rice value climb in India. 

Another point is that rice is developed in India mostly in rainstorm period and is considered as rainfed edit and the significant winter product of India is wheat and not rice. In perspective of that creation and efficiency execution of rice depends essentially on precipitation circulation in the nation. In India just 40 percent of rice territories are watered. The third point is that the geo-political scene has been changing quickly in this area. It might remain as one of the profound components of accepting rice from any nation including India. 

Thinking about the above circumstance, Bangladesh ought not by any stretch of the imagination depend on rice import from India and endeavor to open up new open door for bringing in rice. We need to recollect that Bangladesh's endeavors to import rice from Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand in 2017 were less fruitful. It says strategies in such manner ought to be more direct and straightforward and nation ability to arrange import arrangements will likewise assume a critical part.