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Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal: India’s export restrictions complicate rice supply

By Estelle Maussion

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Posted on October 6, 2022 08:27

India rice A worker unloads bags of rice at a wholesale market in Chandigarh, northern India, July 29, 2014. ©Ajay Verma/REUTERS
A worker unloads bags of rice at a wholesale market in Chandigarh, northern India, July 29, 2014. ©Ajay Verma/REUTERS

New Delhi’s rice export restrictions herald higher prices for many West African countries, including big rice importers Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana.

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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