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Rice trade speakers urge better ports, wider market access and policy support

Industry leaders at the Bharat International Rice Conference 2026 called for improved port logistics, greater use of trade agreements and supportive government policies to strengthen India's rice exports. Shubhranshu Mishra said Odisha aims to increase rice exports from around Rs 321 crore to Rs 10,000 crore by 2047.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 5 independent reports from 6 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 5 reports · 1 article captured only in partHow it's made

View timeline · 6 entries
6 outletsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Too few ratedL 0 · C 2 · R 0 · 4 unrated

What happened

Key facts

  • Ravi Gupta of Shree Renuka Sugars Limited called for better use of ports in Odisha and West Bengal, including Haldia, and a policy to facilitate agricultural cargo shipments (per australiannews.net).
  • Tarun Bajaj said free trade agreements can reduce tariffs and trade barriers and make export procedures more predictable (per australiannews.net).
  • Shubhranshu Mishra, Additional Secretary for the Government of Odisha and Managing Director of APICOL, said Odisha aims to raise rice exports from around Rs 321 crore to Rs 10,000 crore by 2047 (per australiannews.net).
  • Mishra said the UK and Australia accounted for around 1.26 per cent and 0.38 per cent, respectively, of India's total rice exports (per australiannews.net).
  • Rajesh Paharia, Chief Manager for Business Development at KRIBHCO Agri, said India's rice trade faced relatively few policy disruptions during 2025-26 and stressed the importance of a stable export policy environment (per australiannews.net).

The brief

Industry leaders at the Bharat International Rice Conference 2026 called for improved port logistics, greater use of free trade agreements and supportive government policies to strengthen India's rice exports.

The conference included a panel discussion on trade policies, export incentives and market opportunities, with speakers discussing logistics, international market access and aligning rice production with global demand, according to australiannews.net. Ravi Gupta of Shree Renuka Sugars Limited called for better use of ports in Odisha and West Bengal, including Haldia.

He also urged a policy to facilitate agricultural cargo shipments, identifying port access and cargo handling as practical concerns for agricultural exports. Tarun Bajaj said free trade agreements can reduce tariffs and trade barriers and make export procedures more predictable. He also said the APEDA export promotion scheme was expected to become operational within days.

The account does not provide further details about the scheme or specify a calendar date for its start. Shubhranshu Mishra, Additional Secretary for the Government of 1 crore to Rs 10,000 crore by 2047.

Mishra said the UK accounts for around 1.26 per cent of India's total rice exports and Australia for around 0.38 per cent, figures he presented as indicating scope to expand those markets. Rajesh Paharia, Chief Manager for Business Development at KRIBHCO Agri, highlighted the importance of a stable export policy environment.

He said India's rice trade had experienced relatively few policy disruptions during 2025-26. His remarks put policy continuity alongside logistics and trade agreements as an issue raised at the conference.

Headlines from Australian Herald, Lokmat Times, AgroSpectrum India and The Tribune also describe the conference as addressing logistics, trade agreements or pacts, and policy support for Indian rice exports. Their headlines do not provide additional speaker statements or figures.

The discussion, as reported by australiannews.net, connects the export measures under consideration with Odisha's 2047 target and the stated shares of the UK and Australian markets.

Why it matters

  • Odisha's stated export ambition is to move from around Rs 321 crore to Rs 10,000 crore by 2047; Mishra identified port logistics, trade agreements and market expansion as relevant conference topics.
  • India's reported rice-export shares to the UK and Australia—around 1.26 per cent and 0.38 per cent—are the figures Mishra cited when describing room to expand those markets.
  • Gupta's proposed port measures concern agricultural cargo shipments through ports in Odisha and West Bengal, including Haldia.
  • Bajaj linked free trade agreements to lower tariffs and trade barriers and more predictable export procedures, and said APEDA's export promotion scheme was expected to become operational within days.

What to watch next

  • Whether APEDA's export promotion scheme becomes operational; Bajaj said it was expected within days.
  • Whether the Government of Odisha advances its stated goal of increasing rice exports from around Rs 321 crore to Rs 10,000 crore by 2047.
  • Whether port-use and agricultural cargo policy measures of the kind Gupta called for are pursued in Odisha and West Bengal, including at Haldia.
  • Whether the free trade agreements Bajaj discussed are used to reduce tariffs and trade barriers or improve the predictability of export procedures.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
6 source articles · 6 unique outlets · 5 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Too few rated· 2 Center · 4 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Unknown 67% · Asia 33%
Outlet political mix
Too few rated
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
2 outlets
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 4 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
6 unique outletsDominant coverage: Asia
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. India established APEDA to promote and develop exports of scheduled products, including rice.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  2. India introduced economic reforms that reduced controls on trade and investment.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. India’s trade policy also operates within the World Trade Organization, founded in 1995, whose agreements set rules for international trade and agricultural measures.
    Background · from our historical context
  4. India prohibited exports of broken rice.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. India prohibited exports of non-basmati white rice.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  6. India lifted its ban on non-basmati white rice exports.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

India’s rice-export policy had shifted sharply before the 2026 conference: on July 20, 2023, the government prohibited exports of non-basmati white rice, and on September 28, 2024, it lifted that ban. The 2023 restrictions followed India’s September 2022 ban on broken-rice exports and changes to duties on other rice shipments.

The institutional framework for agricultural exports dates to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act, 1985; APEDA was established in 1986 to promote and develop exports of scheduled products, including rice.

Original sources

2 of 6 articles · Asia · Show all

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