Punjab: Central committee meets exporters on basmati MEP

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 17

A high-level committee constituted by the Centre today visited Punjab to take note of concerns raised by exporters over the fixing of the minimum export price (MEP) of $1,200 on basmati.

Members of the panel today held meetings with exporters in Amritsar and Ferozepur. Yesterday, they had met with exporters in Karnal and would soon visit Uttar Pradesh as well.

36,000 quintals purchased

• A total of 36,000 quintals of basmati has been purchased so far.
• Of this, 25k quintals has been purchased in Amritsar district.
• Farmers got maximum price of Rs 3,400 per quintal this year.

This committee will submit its report on the impact of the imposition of the MEP of $ 1,200 per tonne imposed last month to the Union Ministry of Commerce on September 26.

The visit is important as the MEP on basmati has not just halted the ongoing export orders but has also threatened future orders.

The rice exporters who went for the WorldFood fair in Turkey failed to get any new orders.

Bal Krishan Garg, chief, Basmati Rice Millers and Exporters’ Association, told the committee that countries like Pakistan would benefit from this move.

The inter-ministerial team is learnt to have told the exporters that the imposition of the MEP was a temporary measure adopted to stop the export of non-basmati rice.

The members included Dr Tarun Bajaj, Director, APEDA, Sandeep Verma from the Ministry of Commerce, Navtej Singh from the Ministry of Agriculture and officials of the Punjab Government.