New Delhi: In support of Sri Lanka amid its worst economic crisis that triggered violent protests and emergency in the country, Indian traders have started loading 40,000 tonnes of rice for prompt shipment to the island nation as the first major food aid.
Apart from the food shortage, India is also trying to mitigate the fuel crisis in the island nation. State-run Indian Oil Corporation is expected to provide a consignment of 40,000 tonne of diesel to Sri Lanka soon, according to the sources quoted in the Hindustan Times report.
The current diesel consignment is above the seven monthly shipments of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel being sent to Sri Lanka under the line of credit for buying petroleum products finalised in February.
Meanwhile, the rice shipment will be the first major food aid since Colombo secured a credit line from New Delhi, according to officials quoted in the news agency Reuters report.
"Rice loading has started in southern ports," said BV Krishna Rao, managing director of Pattabhi Agro Foods, which is supplying rice to Sri Lanka State Trading (General) Corp under the Indian Credit Facility Agreement.
"We are first loading containers for prompt shipments and vessel loading will start in a few days," Rao added.
India remains the world's biggest rice exporter and agreed to provide the $1 billion credit line in March to address the nation’s crippling shortages of essential items, including fuel, food, and medicine. The initiative could help Colombo bring down rice prices, which have doubled in a year, adding fuel to the unrest.
India agreed to Sri Lanka’s request for additional supplies of diesel despite the disruptions and increase in fuel prices in the global market due to the ongoing Ukraine conflict, said the HT sources.