The export of basmati rice has shown an increasing trend. The export details in the last three years and in the current year are:

Source: DGCI&S; * Provisional

Domestic prices of any agriculture commodity, inter-alia, are a function of several factors like domestic and international demand and supply, cost of production like labour, capital, input cost etc., prevailing domestic and international food inflation etc. and, therefore, cannot be directly attributed to exports alone.

The Government has not received any report officially from USFDA or Embassy of India, Washington. However, on USFDA website there is a consumer update referring to preliminary test on presence of arsenic content in some food products including basmati rice.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Dr. D Purandeswari in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

DS/RK

(Release ID :93405)

Arsenic contamination concerns prompt clarification that no official report was received even as basmati exports rose. The Government reported rising basmati rice exports and stated that domestic agricultural prices are influenced by demand, supply, production costs and inflation rather than exports alone; it has not received any official report from the US regulatory authority or the diplomatic mission, though the US regulator's website posts a consumer update noting preliminary arsenic tests in some food products including basmati rice.