India to provide 20 metric tons of rice as aid to earthquake victims in Nepal

KATHMANDU: In response to the earthquake impact in Nepal, India has announced a donation of 20 metric tons of rice.

The announcement was made through an official notice published in the Gazette under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India on Thursday.

The notice specifies that the donation of 20 metric tons of non-basmati rice is intended for the earthquake-affected areas in Nepal. It has been directed to be made available to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) for mitigation purposes.

Despite export restrictions on rice, India has decided to provide rice aid to Nepal, along with some African countries, in consideration of the possible food crisis in the global market and potential price hikes of rice, other than basmati, which were restricted from export since the previous Asar (15th July 2023).

The Gazette published by the Foreign Trade Directorate mentions the authorization granted for the export of this rice to Nepal despite the prevailing restrictive conditions.