Basmati

Indian basmati prices could remain firm this year as coronavirus has led to shortage of supplies in India. The main region growing high quality basmati rice is the north Indian region falling in the plains of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. The reason for firming up prices is less of stock with the Indian government. The government buys majority of wheat and normal rice varieties in India and has set a minimum support price to help the famers in distress.

Due to coronavirus pandemic, Indian government provided extra food grains to Indian residents living in poverty this year. As per reports, majority of government grain storages in North India have very low grains stored at the moment as the distribution of grains on mass scale was carried out this season. Indian government has even procured fresh wheat crop from Punjab and Haryana amid coronavirus lockdown in order to send to other states.

Indian basmati rice is among the best rice varieties grown across the world, mainly due to its aroma, nutritional profile and long grains that don’t glue like other rice varieties. Basmati rice is mainly grown in India (with higher percentage grown in North India) and many parts of Pakistan.

Some Italian farmers have also tried growing basmati rice but the international trade is still dominated by Indian and Pakistani basmati rice. As per some reports, basmati rice from Pakistan is having better flavor and aroma. However, such small differences can only be told by rice experts. I have myself tried both variants of Rice, from India and Pakistan, and I could hardly tell the difference.