India restricted rice exports as rising shipments lift local prices-govt official

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India restricted rice exports after shipments jumped sharply in the past few months and amid concerns over the new season crop because of below-average rainfall in four key producing states, a top government official said on Friday.

India banned exports of broken rice and imposed a 20% duty on exports of various grades of rice on Thursday as the world's biggest exporter of the grain tries to augment supplies and calm local prices after below-average monsoon rainfall curtailed planting.

Broken rice prices jumped 38% so far in 2022 as exports during April-August rose to 2.13 million tonnes from 1.58 million tonnes a year ago, Sudhanshu Pandey, the most senior civil servant at the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, told reporters.

(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj and Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Kim Coghill)