Published : 13 Aug 2026, 11:18 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:32 AM
The government is tightening the reins on fragrant rice exports as prices and demand surge unusually at home, with the commerce ministry moving to reconsider and trim quotas it had earlier approved.
Exporters holding permits have been ordered to submit details of their actual shipments within three working days, according to a letter issued by the ministry's Export-2 branch on Thursday.
The market situation and rising domestic demand for fragrant rice warrant a cut or adjustment to previously sanctioned export volumes, the ministry said.
It directed permit holders to submit shipment details to the branch within the given timeframe.
Firms that secured permits but failed to export their allotted quota, or exported only part of it, will chiefly come under review for their unused allocations, as per the ministry.
The move follows a high-level meeting on Aug 2, presided over by Commerce Minister Khondakar Abdul Muktadir, which reviewed rice production, domestic demand, market conditions and the actual state of exports.
Acting on recommendations from the food ministry, the commerce ministry had earlier cleared 45,270 tonnes of aromatic rice for export across 278 firms, granting permits to 211 in the first round on May 13 and 67 more in a second round.
The Aug 2 meeting found many permit holders had fallen short of their allotted quotas, with some exporting only a fraction, leaving a wide gap between approved volumes and actual shipments, prompting the ministry to now collect updated, firm-wise export data.
Traders have alleged that the country's top 10 mill owners are sitting on large stockpiles of fragrant rice, holding back supply to engineer an artificial shortage and drive up prices.
Having weighed submissions from all sides, the ministry has decided on stricter monitoring to curb profiteering through manufactured shortages.
It has directed the Department of National Consumer Rights Protection, along with relevant trade bodies, to step up market surveillance.
The government will also examine the rationale for letting unused quotas stand for firms that secured export permits but failed to ship their full allotment, the ministry said, which is why it is now seeking urgent data on actual exports from these firms.
A decision on cutting or adjusting the approved quota will follow once this data has been verified.
Through the move, the government is seeking to strike a balance between keeping domestic supply of fragrant rice steady and preserving opportunities for genuinely capable exporters.
