Punjab flood to hit famous Indian Basmati rice output, exporters may
02-Sep-2025.
Due to heavy rain and floods in Punjab last week there a drop of at least 20-25 per cent in the popular Basmati Rice (used to cook Biriyani) production this year potentially increasing exporters’ realisation as global supplies will be limited, reports say.
Punjab has around 40 per cent share in India’s Basmati rice export of 6.07 million tonne (mt) in 2024-25.
Says Ashok Sethi, Director of Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association, “The rain is continuing, so it would be hazardous to guess how extensive the damage to crops, lives, cattle and houses is”.
Industry sources said that preliminary reports indicate the basmati crop has been affected in about 1.5 lakh acres.
Worst-hit regions
“About 6 lakh acres (or 2.5 lakh hectares) crop area has been impacted due to heavy rain and floods, Punjab’s Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said: Basmati and non-basmati as well as cotton are the majorly affected crops.
Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar are the worst-affected districts. These eight districts have a combined share of over 52 per cent in the State’s Basmati rice area and production as per APEDA’s survey in 2023. Punjab had produced 3.84 mt of Basmati rice in an area of 8.12 lakh hectare (lh) during Kharif 2023.
Khudian said the State government has been providing relief, including medical aid as well as fodder for cattle. Since several villages are still inundated with water, any assessment about crop damage will take more time, the minister added.
This kharif season, Punjab’s total crop area was 35.52 lh as of August 29, including 32.49 lh under both basmati and non-basmati rice. The coverage under other crops includes 1.19 lh under cotton, 0.95 lh under sugarcane and 0.86 lh under maize.
Chouhan for Punjab
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviewing the crop condition of in flood-hit states said on Monday that he would soon visit Punjab to meet the affected farmers.
Chouhan said, “The farmers of Punjab should not worry at all, the Central government stands with the affected farmers in this hour of natural disaster”.
Meanwhile, exporters are hopeful of higher realisation this year due to a lower output from last year’s estimated 4 mt.
In Pakistan also the Basmati crop has been damaged due to floods, the only other country where the aromatic Basmati rice is grown.
Basmati exporters on an average had received $980/tonne in 2024-25, in terms of export realisation. Trade sources said, before the floods affected the crop, exporters were contracting an average $900-1,000/tonne, which may jump to at least $ 1,050/tonne very soon.
Basmati rice variety is used in large extent in south India to cook Biriyani rice, the popular non vegetarian recipe that enhances the taste of Biriyani.
