Kathmandu, April 8 -- Last week, Indian rice traders decided to stop signing new export contracts amid the nationwide lockdown instituted by the Narendra Modi government to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Their decision was triggered by labour shortages and logistics disruptions, as all workers have been forced indoors.

On March 25, through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the Indian government announced distribution of 5 kilos of rice or wheat and a kilo of pulses for the next three months to the poor. This scheme alone covers about two-thirds of the population, or 800 million people.

These two announcements have made clear that India, currently the world's largest exporter of rice, will halt all exports of foodgrains i...