Ban on non-basmati rice export under review

The government will review the ban on the exports of non-basmati rice next week after taking a stock of the total availability of the grain.

“We are having a meeting of the (empowered) Group of Ministers which is going to review food stock, crop availability and will take a decision” Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said.

He said all the parameters like the total procurement and the production would be considered by the eGoM.

Headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the eGoM on foodgrains includes, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, the Commerce Minister and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Among the various other food items, the government had banned export of commonly used rice in March to improve its domestic availability and rein in inflation which has since come closer to the 12 per cent mark.

Besides a ban on the non-basmati variety, export restrictions like minimum price fixation of $1000 a tonne and export tax were imposed on the expensive basmati rice.