After a gap of more than a year, Iran is expected to issue fresh licences for import of Basmati rice from India over the next two months.
“We have got indications from importers in Iran that they may issue fresh licences from December or January,” said Rajen Sundaresan, executive director, All-India Rice Exporters’ Association (AIREA).
Iran had stopped issuing fresh licences for Basmati import since October last year, citing reasons such as high pesticide content and self-sufficiency in production. Traditionally, Basmati is India’s top agri-export commodity and Iran is its biggest buyer. As a result of Iran’s reluctance, Basmati export has taken a major hit. In