Rice exporters relieved as shortage of rail rakes begins to ease

Rice exporters are heaving a sigh of reduction as the scarcity of rail rakes is obtaining settled slowly but surely, but they are now up towards the large backlogs that created up due to the non-availability of the rakes. 

“The challenge of rail rakes is a lot superior now. But it has created a substantial backlog in going rice from Chhattisgarh to Andhra Pradesh. At least 50 % a million tonnes (mt) conservatively could be pending,” reported Nitin Gupta, Vice-President, Olam Agro India Ltd. 

“Things are a small little bit greater now but we now deal with challenges of container availability,” claimed Vidya Sagar VR, Director, Bulk Logix.

“The availability of rail rakes has improved. The problem is improved than what it was a 7 days or a month in the past,” reported BV Krishna Rao, President, The Rice Exporters Association (TREA). 

Still bitter for sugar shippers

The lack of rail rakes for exporters of agricultural items these as rice and sugar led to the Agricultural and Processed Foods Items Export Enhancement Authority (APEDA) stepping in to find a remedy. It followed up on the issue consistently with the Railway Ministry after the challenge was brought to its discover. 

Sugar exporters say the difficulty of rakes shortage proceeds. “Sugar mills in Maharashtra and Karnataka are facing the dilemma of railway wagons as sugar for export is predominantly acquiring lifted from these States only,” said Praful Vithalani, President, All India Sugar Traders Association in a assertion on Monday. 

Substantial freight charges

“We are in continual contact with the Railway Ministry and others stakeholders. The predicament is enhancing and we are hoping for the ideal,” claimed M Angamuthu, APEDA Chairman.

The shortage resulted in rice exports slowing down a tad, though TREA’s Rao is self-assured that shipments through the present-day fiscal will be 16-17 mt of non-basmati rice, in addition to four mt of basmati. 

Exports of non-basmati rice amplified to 12.53 mt valued at $4.48 billion throughout the April-December period of the present-day fiscal in contrast with 8.25 mt valued at $3.07 billion all through the exact period of time a yr back. 

“The container issue continues to affect exports. We have arrive to settle for superior freight rates as component of our problems. Now with crude price ranges climbing, freight prices are likely to rule company,” explained Rao. 

Container availability concern

“The container availability is now an concern. With volumes setting up up, ocean freight is heading bigger,” explained Bulk Logix’s Sagar. For illustration, a ship with 7,000 20-foot equal unit containers collects $175,000 as the every day cost concerning the Considerably East and Europe.

“It will take time for the backlog to very clear, but the situation is expected to develop into ordinary shortly,” explained Olam India’s Gupta.

Aggressive offerings 

However breakbulk ships can be an solution, there are some drawbacks to it, he reported. 

“It will take one particular thirty day period to fill up a ship with 50,00 tonnes capability. Then, it will be involving one particular thirty day period and 45 times ahead of the consignment is sent. It has to get in touch with at different ports and it could get up to 90 times for shipping and delivery. Breakbulk rates are also escalating,” Sagar explained. 

India’s rice exports have improved sharply considering that 2020-21 fiscal as neighbouring nations around the world have located it much more competitive. In addition, India obtained from the drought that afflicted rice creation in Thailand.

In accordance to the Intercontinental Grains Council, India’s 25 for every cent damaged white rice was quoted at $345 a tonne last weekend, whilst Thailand’s 5 for each cent broken dominated at $414 and Vietnam’s 5 for every cent damaged at $388 a tonne. 

Rice selling prices are down 13 per cent yr-on-calendar year for Indian exporters, whilst for Vietnam and Thailand they are reduce by nearly 25 for every cent. 

A surge in corn rates resulted in China turning to India for damaged rice. New Delhi faced no levels of competition in the broken rice section as the commodity was priced at all-around $300 a tonne.

Report output

Record rice generation of 118.87 mt in 2019-20 and 122.27 mt last year (July-June) have aided the document shipments. Through the current time, kharif rice output has been estimated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare at a new higher of 107.04 mt. 

Report inventories with the Food items Corporation of India also encouraged exports. As on April 1, 2020, FCI had 32.23 mt of rice, and 34.50 mt of paddy which is equivalent to 23.11 mt of rice. In April last calendar year, the shares dropped to 29.11 mt of rice and 31.06 mt of paddy (20.8 mt rice). As on January 1, FCI had 22.15 mt of rice and 47.36 mt of paddy (31.72 mt of rice). 

The shares are in opposition to a necessary prerequisite for the FCI to have 5.61 mt of operational stock and a strategic reserve of 3 mt of rice as on January 1. 

Released on


February 08, 2022