Centre eases restriction on wheat exports

The Centre on Tuesday announced some relaxation to its last week's order restricting wheat exports.

It has allowed wheat consignments handed over to Customs on or before the May 13 to be exported.

The government also allowed a wheat consignment headed for Egypt, which was already under loading at the Kandla port, to proceed. This followed a request by the Egyptian government to permit the wheat cargo being loaded at the Kandla port.

"M/s Mera International India Pvt. Ltd., the company engaged for export of the wheat to Egypt, had also given a representation for completion of loading of 61,500 MT of wheat of which 44,340 MT of wheat had already been loaded and only 17,160 MT was left to be loaded," the relaxation order said.

"The government decided to permit the full consignment of 61,500 MT and allowed it to sail from Kandla to Egypt," it said.

The Centre last week restricted wheat exports to manage the overall food security situation in India and to support the needs of neighbouring and vulnerable countries that are adversely affected by the sudden changes in the global market for wheat and are unable to access adequate wheat supplies.