The import bill for rice in West Africa, already high for many countries, promises to soar even higher. In early September, India – the world’s largest exporter of this cereal since 2012, and a major supplier to the West African region – announced that it would limit its exports in favour of its domestic market.
The two measures taken – a ban on the export of broken rice and the introduction of a 20% tax on exports of other types of high-quality rice – are likely to complicate the supply for the majority of West African countries, which are still largely dependent on Indian rice despite their efforts to increase domestic production.
Dependence
Senegal, a major consumer of broken rice, is the country most affected by New Delhi’s decision: India provided 55% of Senegalese rice imports for the 2021-2022 season, far ahead of its other suppliers, Thailand (22%), Brazil (12%) and China (4%),
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