India rice export ban leads to ‘panic buying’ at Dallas-Fort Worth area grocery stores

Amid a ban by the Indian government on the export of non-basmati white rice, Indian-Americans in North Texas are finding it difficult to find some types of rice that they commonly use.

The move aiming “to ensure adequate domestic availability at reasonable prices” comes nearly a year after an export duty of 20% on non-basmati white rice was imposed. The rice varieties in the ban constitutes about 25% of total rice exported from India — the world’s biggest rice exporter.

“The Indian-American community in the DFW area and all over the USA got affected due to the ban,” said Arun Agarwal, co-chair of the Indian American CEO Council. “There is a shortage of short-grain rice due to panic buying from the community last week and earlier this month.”

Type of rice Indian-Americans in North Texas use

The most commonly used rice for Indians is short-grain rice. It is less expensive and more widely available in different areas of India. Basmati rice or long-grain rice is only used on special occasions and big events. It is also more expensive. Huge lines have formed outside of Indian grocery stores as well as grocery stores like Costco and Sam’s where the non-basmati types of rice are being sold, Agarwal said.

After the news of India’s prohibition on non-basmati rice exports, the Dallas-Fort Worth market began experiencing a shortage of rice, according to Dinesh Hooda, president of the India Association of North Texas. This includes varieties of rice like Sona Masoori, lightweight and aromatic medium-grain rice common in South India.

“Community members, especially from the Southern part of India, use Sona Masoori rice more than basmati rice, which is more prevalent for use in specific events and cuisines,” Hooda said. “Most of the community members buy Indian specific groceries from Indian grocery stores.”

The rush to buy rice have “temporarily” reduced the stock of the grain at area stores, Hooda added.

Rice is an integral part of Indian cuisine, Hooda said, though some eat less rice or rely more on wheat depending on the region they’re from. The most common rice varieties used are basmati, Sona Masoori, brown rice and jasmine rice.

Finding American-grown rice instead of grain from India

While rice is a staple food for most Indians, Indian-Americans in North Texas have had to find local alternatives like the American-grown Texmati rice, or they’ve switched to wheat as their source of carbohydrates, said Chat Ganesh of the Dallas Fort Worth Indian Cultural Society.

Though the Indian government has imposed an export ban on non-basmati rice, which is short-grain rice, basmati rice or long-grain rice is still being exported from India. Short-grain or non-basmati rice is an essential part of Indian dishes, with each region in India having signature dishes made with the short-grain varieties. For example, the southern everyday dishes of Idly and Dosa are made of short-grain rice.

Agarwal blames panic buying for the shortage, saying consumers should not overstock.

“It’s just a temporary situation and people should only buy limited quantities that they need, not to store,” Hooda says. “And don’t pay extra to stores that are charging higher prices at this time.”