Srinagar, June 18: Amid growing concerns of economic meltdown following the Iran-Israel war, basmati exporters in Jammu have expressed confidence that the conflict will not disrupt the region’s key agricultural exports to Iran.
Despite the volatile situation, trade routes remain open and shipments are expected to go as per schedule, according to local dealers and trade experts.
Iran is one of the largest consumers of India’s premium basmati rice and typically imports between 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes annually, making up a substantial portion of India’s total 4 to 6 million tonnes in annual basmati exports.
Jammu, which is home to the world’s best Basmati rice, also exports this rice variety to various countries, including Iran.
Dealers said so far, there has not been any impact on the exports of this rice. “Our exports are going smoothly as of now. Not just Iran, our rice is being exported to the UAE and other countries also,” said Manish Mahajan, a dealer.
An official at Sarveshwar, one of the largest Jammu basmati rice exporters, said the exports of this rice variety haven’t been hit with conflicts.
President Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Arun Gupta, told The Kashmir Monitor that the requirement of Basmati rice in Iran will go up even during the war.
“It can have some impact. But in the longer run, its demand will go up. Even during the Russia-Ukraine war, the flow of essentials continued. We believe that Iran, which is the consumer of Basmati rice, won’t halt the imports of the rice, ” he said.
In Jammu, the traditional Basmati rice is grown on over 60,000 hectares of land from the Chhamb belt on the north-west of Jammu city and is spread up to the Lakhanpur area of Kathua district, south of the winter capital.
Countrywide, the rice exporters to Iran fear a slowdown in shipments and payment delays following the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict.