New Delhi exports more than 4 million metric tons of premium long-grain rice to countries such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the US
The nation has already banned exports of broken rice and non-basmati white rice, curbed shipments of wheat and sugar, and restricted stockpiling of some crops
Rice contributes as much as 60 per cent of total calorie intake for people in parts of Southeast Asia and Africa
A United Nations gauge of world food costs climbed for a 12th straight month in May
The UAE government has taken several measures to ensure uninterrupted access to supplies since the virus spread
The Covid-19 pandemic, while ringing in other changes, is also spurring the UAE to grow more of its food