The government was considering a proposal to ease the ban on export of non-basmati rice and might allow overseas sale of premium varieties priced over $850 a tonne, a senior government official said on Wednesday. “The commerce ministry is strongly pushing for easing the export ban on non-basmati rice, as domestic supplies are good this year,” the official said.
He said the ministry had proposed that exports should be allowed, but above the floor price of $850 a tonne to ensure only the premium varieties, which are not procured by the government, gets exported.
State governments have been asking the government to allow export of premium non-basmati rice varieties such as ponni, sona masuri and red matta. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had earlier this month said he had received request from three states – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala – to permit export of select non-basmati rice.