New Delhi (PTI): Traders and exporters are hopeful that a new government after the general elections will lift the ban on export of wheat and rice as the country has more than sufficient stocks of foodgrains.
"When the government has 178 per cent higher stock of wheat and 13 per cent more in rice than the norms, what is the point in continuing with the ban on export," an industry official said.
Wheat export has been banned since February 2007 while shipment of non-Basmati rice was curbed in April 2008.
The Centre, which maintains the buffer stock of foodgrains for supplying to under-priviledged at cheaper rates and to meet exigencies, has 139.30 lakh tonnes of wheat and 149.91 lakh tonnes of rice as on April 1 this year.
Last year, the buffer stocks had 58.03 lakh tonnes of wheat and 138.35 lakh tonnes of rice on April 1.
The Centre has set buffer norms, the quantity it should have in the Central Pool, on the first day of each quarter -- January, April, July and October. As per the buffer norm, the Centre should have 50 lakh tonnes of wheat and 132 lakh tonnes of rice as on April 1.
"The wheat purchase has started and is up 2.5 times than last year. It is better to allow export as any storage problem may create difficulties in procurement," an official with Roller Flour Millers Federation of India said.
Source : The Hindu