Previous Year Question
Among the following, which one was the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years?
China
India
Myanmar
Vietnam
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
During the five-year period preceding the examination, India was the world’s largest rice exporter. India removed its restriction on the export of non-basmati rice in 2011 and emerged as the world’s largest rice exporter in 2012.
India exports rice under two broad categories:
Basmati rice
Non-basmati rice
Major markets for basmati rice have included Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and other West Asian countries. Non-basmati rice has principally been exported to price-sensitive markets in Africa and Asia.
The principal reasons for India’s export competitiveness include:
availability of both basmati and non-basmati rice;
a very large domestic production base;
the ability to supply different quality and price segments;
an extensive network of ports and rice-processing facilities; and
access to markets in Africa, West Asia and South Asia.
Examination of the other options
China is a major producer of rice, but its large domestic consumption meant that it was not the largest exporter during the reference period.
Myanmar exports rice, but its export volume was substantially lower than India’s.
Vietnam was among the world’s leading rice exporters, but it remained behind India during the relevant five-year period.
Current position (2026)
According to APEDA, India has remained the world’s largest rice exporter since 2012 and accounted for approximately 30–35% of global rice exports during the last five years.
In 2024-25:
India exported approximately 20.19 million metric tonnes of rice.
The exports were valued at approximately USD 12.47 billion.
Major destinations included Saudi Arabia, Benin, Iraq, Iran, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, the UAE and Togo.
APEDA’s figures for 2025-26 record:
Basmati rice: 6.52 million tonnes, valued at approximately USD 5.67 billion
Non-basmati rice: 15.01 million tonnes, valued at approximately USD 5.82 billion
Combined exports: approximately 21.53 million tonnes, valued at approximately USD 11.49 billion