Wheat, rice export ban may be eased

The ban on export of wheat and rice may be eased only after the government fulfills the election promise of providing 25 kg of staple food to poor families at Rs 3 a kg, Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said.

"I am actively looking at that question right now," Khullar said when asked whether the government is taking stock of the availability of rice and wheat this year.

The government had banned the export of wheat in February 2007 and rice in April 2008 on concerns of food inflation.

While inflation has since then touched a three-decade low of 0.13 per cent, the UPA government does not want to go in for an immediate removal of the exports ban on these two commodities.

"It is not a simple issue of saying: remove the ban on wheat and rice. I have to take the totality of demand into consideration, the demand for Public Distribution System and ..and then the demand of food security," he said.

However, Khullar indicated that ban on export of agri items which do not have demand at home may be removed since the producers have been hurt.

"These are the issues which I have started looking at", the new Commerce Secretary said.

Khullar, an Indian Administrative Service officer of 1975 batch UT cadre, has replaced G K Pillai who has moved who has moved to the Home Ministry.