India allows export of 3 lakh tonnes of rice and wheat to Bangladesh, Nepal

The government has allowed export of around 3,00,000 tonnes of rice and wheat to Bangladesh and Nepal through diplomatic channels, food and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said on the sidelines of an ICAR function in New Delhi today.

"There was some request from the external affairs ministry for additional quantity to Bangladesh and Nepal and we have accepted that," he said.

The empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on food, headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, had approved export of rice and wheat of a total 1,00,000 tonnes to Nepal and another 2,00,000 tonnes to Bangladesh.

Pawar said the pricing of there food grains so exported was also a decision of the external affairs ministry, which, he said, was not conveyed to him so far.

He said the government's current grain stock is about 57.8 million tonnes and this has helped the government partially ease the ban on foodgrain exports.

The government imposed a ban on export of wheat and rice to ease rising domestic prices. The ban is now relaxed, he added.

The country is estimated to have produced 89.13 million tonnes of rice and 80.71 million tonnes of wheat in 2009-10.