Commerce Min wants wheat export issue handled by EGoM

A day after revoking its earlier order to allow wheat export, the Commerce Ministry has favoured referring the issue of easing the ban to an Empowered Group of Ministers, saying food security should be of prime importance.     

According to highly-placed sources, the Commerce Ministry decided to withdraw the notification for allowing exports of up to 900,000 tonnes of wheat through state-owned trading firms — MMTC, STC and PEC — in view of uncertainty over monsoon.     

The issue of allowing wheat exports needs to be referred to the EGoM on food security, which was constituted by the government yesterday, the sources said.     

The food stock situation needs to be assessed before granting any leeway on wheat export, they added.     

"Ensuring food security for the country was of prime importance for this government and only in the situation of adequate surplus being available would exports of foodgrains be considered," a source said.     

The Centre yesterday decided to set up an EGOM, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, to consider procurement and management of foodgrain stocks, revision of the central issue prices of foodgrains and the proposed National Food Security Act, among others.     

In March, an EGoM on food in the previous government had agreed to allow exports of wheat and wheat products up to 2 million tonnes after May 15 this year.