Speaker Sandhwan urges Centre to act as Basmati rice export to Iran worth ₹2,000 crore face blockage, impacting farmers, millers, and exporters.

S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan , Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha has called on the Central Government to take prompt action to protect the interests of farmers, millers, and exporters in light of the grave crisis that Basmati rice exporters are facing. He claimed that the increasing unpredictability in Iran, a significant market for Punjab’s Basmati rice, is putting exporters under a great deal of strain.

Consignments of Basmati rice valued at over ₹2,000 crore are presently blocked, according to Sandhwan, and payments are still pending. The interruption of commerce with Iran has affected farmers and rice mill owners in addition to exporters, causing a knock-on effect throughout Punjab’s agricultural industry.

According to the Speaker, one of the biggest importers of Indian Basmati rice has historically been Iran. However, the ongoing unpredictability and instability have caused shipment delays and disruptions, which have severely impacted exporters’ liquidity. Farmers who are already having difficulty keeping up with the increased costs of inputs have been directly impacted by the consequent collapse in Basmati rice mandi pricing.

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He stressed that the issue affects more than only large exporters. Unsold inventory and delayed payments are also putting increasing financial strain on small and medium-sized businesses. An important part of Punjab’s rural economy, Basmati rice’s whole supply chain is being weakened by the protracted delay.

Sandhwan urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take swift action to address the problem. He emphasized that prompt diplomatic initiatives and policy-level fixes are required to rebuild trust in commerce with Iran and guarantee seamless exporters’ payment systems.

He issued a warning, saying Punjab’s economy would sustain long-term harm if the problem is not resolved quickly. Sandhwan emphasized the significance of Basmati rice as a vital agricultural and export commodity and called on the Center to act quickly to safeguard farmers’ lives and the sustainability of the export sector.