New Delhi [India], September 15 (ANI): India’s rice exporters are increasingly looking beyond traditional destinations for the next phase of export growth, as emerging markets such as Jordan and Turkey gain commercial importance amid shifting trade routes and sourcing patterns.
Indian rice shipments to Jordan have increased nearly eight-fold, while basmati exports to Turkey have doubled, highlighting how markets outside the conventional list of the world’s biggest rice importers could emerge as significant opportunities for Indian exporters, according to a press release by the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2026.
The development comes as global rice trade is projected to expand substantially over the next decade. The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2026-2035 projects global rice trade to increase by around 22 million tonnes to approximately 81 million tonnes by 2035. Africa’s share of global rice imports is expected to rise from around 35 per cent currently to about 45 per cent by 2035.
At prevailing international trade values, the additional trade could represent an opportunity worth several billion dollars, putting greater focus on which markets could drive the next USD 10 billion of global rice demand.
Dev Garg, Vice-President of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF), said exporters need to rethink the traditional approach of targeting markets primarily on the basis of their size.
“The traditional approach has been to look at the largest import markets and assume that those are automatically the best opportunities. We want to challenge that thinking,” Garg said. “Turkey and Jordan are excellent examples. Very few people would have identified them as standout markets at the beginning of the year, yet the trade data changed dramatically.”
The rise in shipments to Jordan does not necessarily indicate a corresponding increase in domestic consumption, part of the growth reflects changes in regional trade routes and redistribution of trade flows following disruption to direct trade with Iran. Such shifts could make a country strategically important as a consumption centre, distribution hub, alternative trade corridor or higher-realisation market.
The BIRC 2026 New Markets session will assess potential destinations on parameters including demand growth, import dependence, competition, price realisation, product suitability, freight costs, import duties, regulatory requirements and payment risks. It will focus on identifying markets that offer commercially viable opportunities rather than merely ranking countries by import volumes.
“Anyone can produce a list of the ten largest rice importers. The real value is understanding which markets an Indian exporter can actually enter, what product they should take there, what price they can realise, what risks they will face and who they need to meet to make the first transaction happen,” Garg said.
India currently exports rice to more than 170 countries, though a significant share of exports remains concentrated in established destinations. Between November 2025 and March 2026, exports to 26 priority markets identified around BIRC 2025 reached approximately Rs 23,476 crore and 4.79 million tonnes, with volumes 5.6 per cent above the corresponding three-year average.
The Bharat International Rice Conference 2026 will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from October 23 to 25, bringing together Indian exporters, rice millers, international buyers, policymakers and trade experts to discuss opportunities and challenges shaping global rice trade. (ANI)
India eyes new rice export markets as shipments to Jordan surge, basmati exports to Turkey double: BIRC
