CHANDIGARH: Demand for biryani in the Middle East has spurred basmati rice exports from India which registered a huge jump of Rs 9,890.58 crore in 2013-14 as compared to the previous season.

Riding on strong overseas demand especially from Iran and Saudi Arabia, the value of basmati rice exports jumped by 50.96%.

According to the figures available with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Agency, India exported about 37.57 lakh tonnes basmati rice from April 2013 to March 2014 valued at Rs 29,299.96 crore. In the previous season about 34.59 lakh tonnes of basmati rice was exported for Rs 19,409.38 crore to the country's rice exporters.