Basmati rice, which originates from the Indian subcontinent, is one of the most popular types of rice in the world. For over 5,000 years, basmati rice has been cultivated by the farmers of this region and has earned it the nickname queen of all grains because of its unique flavor and aroma that makes it both delicious and easy to digest. While this type of rice has traditionally only been available in bulk quantities, recent innovations have made it much easier to find organic basmati rice in smaller bags or boxes for single-use cooking purposes as well!
1) Huge, but growing
Despite a slight drop in production, demand for organic basmati rice is higher than ever. This trend is expected to continue as more and more consumers look for healthy options. The United States has been one of India’s most important export markets, but Europe and China have been gaining share. To keep up with these changes in demand, suppliers are beginning to offer more products—organic as well as traditional varieties—at different prices. Thanks to their popularity in North America, organic basmati will likely be available at an even greater number of retailers in coming years. As long as supply meets demand, it seems likely that sales will continue growing throughout Asia and beyond.
2) Vast consumer market
India is one of the biggest consumer markets for basmati rice in Asia. It is among India’s major food grains, along with wheat and coarse cereals. In terms of world trade, India is among top 10 countries that export basmati rice to different countries across the globe. As per data released by Indian government’s agriculture ministry, total quantity of exported basmati rice by India amounted to 138 thousand tonnes during April 2016-March 2017. This information was revealed in a recent report released by the International Grains Council (IGC). Reports suggest that international market demand for imported basmati rice was highest from Maldives followed by Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.
3) Quality > Quantity
There are two reasons why you might want to buy basmati rice in bulk. The first is that buying in bulk can significantly reduce your cost per pound of rice. While it’s true that you need to have storage space for all of your rice, it’s also worth noting that if you don’t use all of your rice within 6 months, it will go bad. Thus, many people prefer to buy smaller quantities of higher-quality basmati rice to avoid having their inventory go bad before they can consume or sell it all. This way, they get their money’s worth and don’t waste any precious product by letting it spoil due to negligence or forgetfulness on their part.
4) Indian Basmati industry is huge on exports
Indian Basmati rice is a super food as per WHO. There are many top Indian basmati rice exporters of India, who work towards creating a market for it by getting more and more countries in Asia to buy it from them. The trade and commerce between Indian exporters and Asian countries is based on trust and strong business ethics. Another amazing fact about Indian basmati rice exports from India is that Indian people living abroad still demand good quality basmati rice which they can’t get there in their country so what do they do? Of course, you guessed it right, most of them import or have their family or friends back home to send it via any online shopping site like Saffrononline.
5) Prices are set by international buyers, not sellers
One of the great things about basmati rice online is that prices are set by international buyers, not sellers. This creates a great incentive for farmers to produce more, but since basmati rice online accounts for almost a third of India’s total exports, it also means prices are a little out of reach for locals. That being said, you can buy basmati rice in bulk here (our favorite supplier) and store it in your pantry – or freeze it and use it later! Buying rice in bulk will allow you to keep costs low while buying only what you need.
6) The top exporters and importers in 2017
The top five exporters in 2017 were India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. The top five importers in 2017 were: Japan, South Korea, Germany, Philippines and the United States. In 2017-18 India is expected to account for a leading 33 percent share of global exports. Additionally, it is also forecasted that China will overtake the United States as second biggest market after Japan with a forecasted 16 percent share of total import.
7) The top producers in 2017
India produced 1.976 million tonnes of basmati rice, making it the world’s largest producer. Pakistan was next with 882,000 tonnes, followed by Iran with 581,000 tonnes. The top exporters were India (2.527 million tonnes), Pakistan (1.043 million tonnes) and Turkey (881,600). The top importers were Iran (743,200 tonnes), Bangladesh (701,500) and Jordan (579,500). Sri Lanka was once a major importer but has not imported any basmati rice since 2016 when it became a net exporter.
8) Way to go India!
In recent years, consumption of basmati rice has increased in places such as Nepal, Bhutan, and Pakistan. In 2008, India exported over 5 million tons of basmati rice to countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and most likely it will continue to rise in popularity as consumption of white rice continues to decrease due to its association with higher cholesterol levels. There are even more markets opening up for Indian basmati rice such as Iraq where they recently bought over one million tons worth of raw rice from India. Although India leads worldwide production and exports around 80% of all countries’ exported output each year; Vietnam is quickly catching up by exporting around 1 million tons a year.
