India may allow a further one million tonnes of non-basmati rice export to Africa, taking sales overseas sales to 2.5 million tonnes, the Economic Times reported on Thursday. A committee of top government officials has decided to allow the additional export and the Ministry of External Affairs would oversee the sales, the newspaper said, quoting an unnamed trade department official.
The government will soon issue a formal order to allow exports of two million tonnes of wheat after election processes are over by May 16, the paper said, quoting the official. India had clamped down on wheat exports in 2007.
The country banned exports of non-basmati rice last year, joining other leading rice producers, which resorted to protectionist measures to stave off domestic shortages. Struggling to manage bulging grain stocks, India last week allowed one million tonnes of non-basmati rice exports by state-run trading firms.