Detention at JNPT, Munda and Kandla follows businessline’s report of irregularities in such shipments violating ban on exports of white rice
Over 400 organic rice containers have been detained by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) personnel in JNPT, Mundra and Kandla ports following businessline’s report of alleged irregularities in the shipments.
Trade sources said non-organic white (raw) and parboiled (boiled) rice have been exported in the guise of organic rice. As a result, shipments of organic rice during April-July 2024-25 fiscal (1,46,585 tonnes) exceeded the total shipments during the previous fiscal (1,07,727 tonnes).
These shipments (1,27,120 tonnes of white rice, 8,000-odd tonnes of broken rice) were made in violation of the ban on white (raw) and broken rice exports from India since July 2023. Unscrupulous shippers have also dodged the 20 per cent export duty on parboiled (boiled) rice. The duty evasion is reported to have exceeded ₹160 crore between October 2023 and July 2024.
Vessel halted
Trade sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said of the total shipments detained by the DRI, over 200 have been made in JNPT alone.
The sources said as per data 22,126 tonnes and 16,547 tonnes of organic rice shipments set sail for Vietnam and Kenya but hardly 2,,000 tonnes reached their destinations.
A South India-based exporter said the Customs Department has stopped merchant vessel mv Della from setting sail on the issue of non-organic rice being shipped out as organic rice. “Vietnam received less than 2,000 tonnes of organic rice shipments from India, while Kenya did not receive a single tonne of organic rice. In Kenya, the rice consignments have been recorded as non-organic rice. The Vietnam consignments seem to have been diverted elsewhere or misdeclaration has been made,” a source with access to data said.
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