Basmati Rice: 2000 Tonnes Additional Imported

By importing basmati rice a main objective for STC to stabilize the market and offer a wider choice to the public.

These are mainly the Pusa Basmati and Basmati 1121 Extra Long marketed by STC. The blue bag is the Pusa Basmati and red bag, 1121 Basmati Extra Long. Pusa Basmati is the for sale at Rs 25 per pound and 1121 Basmati Extra Long, at Rs 28.50. Bag of 5 kg is sold at Rs 250 and Rs 285 respectively. According to importers, if the State Trading Corporation offers basmati rice at a competitive price, then it will be better for competition.

1121 Rice and Pusa, coming from New Delhi and the state of Punjab in India, and Super Kernel, imported from Pakistan, are the most popular right now at the international level. In Mauritius, the population consumes large quantities of these rice varieties.

STC holds a certificate of authenticity for Pusa Basmati, which was issued by the export section of India and a certificate of quality for both types of rice marketed. These two types of rice are among the best on the market.

The global rice trade in 2014 is expected to reach 38.3 million tonnes, 2% higher than the current estimate of trade in 2013, which is slightly below the record of 2012.

In Mauritius, fifty brands of basmati rice are marketed from India in particular.

The market is also dominated by some importers. The country imports about 50,000 tonnes of basmati rice annually. Population consumes 135 tons daily. -