Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Saturday announced that the exemption on mandi (market) fee for rice exporters will be extended for another year, a move aimed at boosting rice exports in the state. Addressing the second edition of the India International Rice Summit at a private resort here, Sai said the extension would be significant for exporters and farmers, and strengthen Chhattisgarh's position in the global rice market, a government statement said. He said the summit was significant as it had brought together buyers from 12 countries and embassy delegations from six nations, reflecting growing international interest in the state's rice sector, it said. The participation of global stakeholders would help Chhattisgarh gain wider recognition in the international rice trade, he added. Chhattisgarh was rightly described as the "rice bowl" of India by earlier generations and the state continues to live up to that identity, with rice forming an integral part of its ...