New Delhi, Nov. 11 -- India's rollback of rice export restrictions offered a timely reprieve to global markets battered by surging food costs, easing supply pressures and restoring confidence in the staple's trade.

According to a report by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the policy shift contributed to a 29% fall in global rice prices in 2025, and helped cool food inflation-particularly in African and Asian countries such as Senegal, Benin and Bangladesh, which depend heavily on Indian rice.

The WTO report, released on 7 November, cited the International Grains Council's Grains and Oilseeds Index (GOI) to note that global food prices overall-including rice and other foods-fell 2% year-on-year in 2025, and 39% from their 2022 peak, l...