India has exported non-basmati white rice worth US$ 122.7 million during April-May of this fiscal year, with the government actively monitoring production, availability, and export conditions to determine appropriate policy actions. The exports totalled US$ 852.53 million in 2023-24, US$ 2.2 billion in 2022-23, and US$ 2 billion in 2021-22, as Minister of State of Ministry of Commerce and Industry Mr. Jitin Prasada reported. Following a ban on non-basmati white rice exports from July 20, 2023, exceptions are allowed for government-approved exports to meet the food security needs of specific countries. India shipped rice to nations such as the Maldives, Mauritius, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Namibia this fiscal year.
In a separate development, he mentioned that the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement (FSA) has not yet entered into force due to its failure to be ratified by two-thirds of WTO members. India has managed to protect the interests of its fishermen under the agreement adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference, which addresses Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and overfished stocks. The FSA targets IUU fishing and overfished stocks as determined by coastal members, such as India, and does not require eliminating subsidies for genuine fishermen. The agreement permits subsidies for vessels and operators not involved in IUU fishing or overfished conditions.
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