As India has imposed a temporary ban on exporting non-basmati rice, several Indian expat living in United Arab Emirates (UAE) have started carrying rice along with them from India while returning to the Emirates after summer vacation.
For Indian expat Shabna, having rice in meals is more of a habit than a necessity. She carried 5 kg of rice in her luggage.
According to Shabna, lugging the rice sacks saves her expenses almost three Dirhams. “We have a lot of family and friends here (UAE), so we also have a lot of gatherings. This means our rice consumption is also quite high,” Shabna was quoted by Khaleej Times.
“It is really not that much saving but when we visit India and find space in the luggage, we end up bringing the rice sacks,” she added.
Shabna expressed her hope that India resumes the exports of rice soon.
India is the world’s largest exporter of rice, and has temporarily banned its exports after seasonal monsoon rains hit many parts of the country, affecting the crop and raising fears of a production shortfall.
India accounts for more than 40% of world rice exports and sends rice to more than 140 countries.
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