July 13, 2011
India allows 50,000 tonnes grains export to Oman
India has allowed the export of 50,000 tonnes of wheat and non-basmati rice to Oman on diplomatic grounds.
"We have cleared export of 40,000 tonnes of wheat and 10,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice to Oman through a diplomatic channel," Food Minister KV Thomas said.
The Empowered Group of Ministers on Food (EGoM), headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, had permitted the export of one million tonnes of wheat and non-basmati rice to neighbouring countries on a government-to-government basis, of which the Oman shipment was a part.
Facing the problem of overflowing food-grain stocks, India lifted an over three-year-old ban on the export of non-basmati rice yesterday and allowed the shipment of one million tonnes.
India, the world's second largest producer of wheat and rice, held stocks of 64.12 million tonnes of foodgrains as on July 1, which is more than double the buffer stock norm.
According to official data, the country is estimated to have harvested a record 84.27 million tonnes of wheat and 94.11 million tonnes of rice in the 2010-11 crop year.