India approves wheat exports to Bangladesh

The Indian government has allowed exports of 400,000 tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh, partly lifting a three-year ban on overseas exports.

India, the world's second-biggest producer of wheat, banned exports of the grain in early 2007. It lifted the restriction for a few days in July 2009 before re-imposing it.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, an arm of the trade ministry, said the state-run Food Corp of India would export the grain from government inventories. On April 1, India's wheat supplies soared more than seven times the target to 30.8 million tonnes. The government had allowed 50,000 tonnes of wheat exports to Nepal in February.