Govt may ease rice ban exports

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs will take a decision on easing the ban on rice exports, Commerce Secretary G K Pillai said on Tuesday.

"We have made our recommendation to ease the ban on export of rice above $400 per tonne," Pillai told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with a delegation from Finland.

"The final decision will be taken at the meeting of CCEA," he said. The government banned export of non-basmati rice with effect from October 9.

Earlier this month, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had said the ban was imposed to ensure local prices stay under control in the rice procurement season that started October 1.

Separately, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said he will meet Pawar later on Tuesday to discuss easing of ban on rice exports.

He said the government was looking at various options to ease the ban on non-basmati rice exports, but nothing had been finalised as yet.