New Delhi: The Central Government has put wheat export under the “prohibited” category in an effort to manage the overall food security of the country and to need the support of the neighbouring and vulnerable countries.
There is a rise in the demand for Indian wheat in the global markets and farmers, traders, and exporters have been advised to follow all the quality norms of the importing countries so that India emerges as a reliable supplier of the grain.
In an official notification issued on Friday evening, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) stated that as a transitional arrangement wheat export will be allowed in case of shipments where the irrevocable letter of credit (ILOC) has been issued on or before May 13.
The export will also be permitted on the basis of permission granted by the Central Government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their governments.
Meanwhile, India will send trade delegations to nine countries including Morocco, Tunisia, and Indonesia to explore possibilities of boosting wheat shipments as it targets to export 10 million tonnes of the grain in 2022-23.
“The Government of India is committed to providing for the food security requirements of India, neighbouring and other vulnerable developing countries which are adversely affected by the sudden changes in the global market for wheat and are unable to access adequate wheat supplies,” read the notification.
According to estimates by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, India exported 7 million tonnes (MT) of wheat in 2021-22 which is valued at USD 2.05 billion.
(Vinayak)