# India’s rice exports to 26 priority markets beat three-year average 2026-08-26T11:17:29+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet India's rice exports to 26 priority markets totalled Rs 23,476 crore and 4.79 million tonnes between November 2025 and March 2026, exceeding the three-year average for the period. The Indian Rice Exporters Federation analysis of DGCIS data showed export value was 1.1 per cent above the average and volume was 5.6 per cent higher. Eleven of the 26 markets recorded year-on-year growth in both value and volume. The UAE saw the strongest gains, with export value up 65 per cent to Rs 3,859.04 crore and volume up 64 per cent. Belgium posted a 53.8 per cent value rise and 44.5 per cent volume growth, while Germany's export value rose 33.5 per cent. The strategy of matching Indian rice varieties to local cuisines, introduced at the Bharat International Rice Conference 2025, will expand at BIRC 2026 scheduled for October 23-25 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The export data reflects India's push to move rice from a bulk commodity to a differentiated product, a shift that matters for farm incomes and trade balance. India exported a record 17.8 million tonnes of rice in 2021-22 before the government imposed export restrictions on certain varieties to control domestic prices, those curbs were gradually lifted through 2024. The strategy of cuisine pairing is new for the rice trade, which has traditionally competed on price and volume. The real test will come when BIRC 2026 data is available: if more markets show the kind of growth the UAE and Belgium posted, the approach may become a template for other agricultural exports. The IREF's next quarterly data, expected around June 2026, will show whether the gains held after the November-March window. The real test will come when BIRC 2026 data is available: if more markets show the kind of growth the UAE and Belgium posted, the approach may become a template for other agricultural exports. ## Coverage - thehindubusinessline.com Straight data reporting with no editorial slant, leads with export figures and industry strategy This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Basmati, Belgium, Bharat International Rice Conference, Germany, Indian Rice Exporters Federation, UAE Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/indias-rice-exports-to-26-priority-markets-beat-three-year-average/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/indias-rice-exports-to-26-priority-markets-beat-three-year-average/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/