India rice exports fall as Iran war hits basmati trade
India's rice exports fell 1.3% in early 2026 as the Iran conflict disrupted basmati shipments. Higher freight costs and Gulf delays have stalled new deals.
India rice exports fell 1.3% to 8.39 million metric tons from January to April as conflict disrupted shipments. The decline follows a record harvest that has already pushed domestic rice prices down more than 5% this year. For global investors, the contraction in the world’s largest rice supplier threatens to destabilize pricing across agricultural commodity markets.
### Conflict Disrupts Premium Basmati Trade The war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran began with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes and has specifically hampered premium basmati shipments to Gulf markets. Basmati exports dropped 7% to 2.3 million metric tons during the first four months of the year. Two government officials said the conflict is the primary driver behind the slowdown in these high-value deliveries.
