Rice Exports Rise in August; Mixed Trend in Plantation Products

16-Sep-2026 07:27 PM

New Delhi. Data from the Union Ministry of Commerce indicates that while rice export performance was somewhat subdued in July, it improved in August. Rice exports from India saw a 4 percent increase in both volume and value in August 2026 compared to August 2025. In contrast, a mixed trend was observed in the export of plantation products; exports of coffee and cashews increased, whereas declines were recorded in the exports of tea, tobacco, and spices.

According to official data, rice exports rose by 4 percent in August to reach $917.82 million. Similarly, during the first five months of the current fiscal year (April–August 2026), exports grew by 2 percent to reach $4.81 billion. Prior to this, in July 2026, rice exports had fallen by 7 percent to $860.34 million compared to July 2025.

Regarding plantation products, cashew exports rose by nearly 4 percent in August to $26.97 million and improved by 2 percent during the April–August period to reach $110.74 million. Coffee exports also saw an increase, but spice exports fell by over 13 percent in August to $288.75 million and dropped by more than 7 percent during the five-month period of April–August 2026 to $1.70 billion. It is noteworthy that India remains the world's leading exporter of rice and spices.