The Union Government on Monday lifted the export ban on wheat flour and related products with immediate effect. Centre has amended the Export Policy of
Wheat Flour and Related Products provision, removing the earlier prohibition on their overseas shipments, according to an official release. These products include maida, semolina, wholewheat atta and resultant atta. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has released a notification saying it amended the export policy for wheat flour and related products, changing their status from “prohibited” to “free”. The change takes effect immediately. Government had also undertaken the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) programme, NFSM-Wheat programme to increase the production of wheat through area expansion and productivity enhancement; restoring soil fertility and productivity; and enhancing farm level economy is undertaken.
Move coming after 4 years:
On July 12, 2022, the central government had decided to halt wheat exports. Later, it had only partially opened up the earlier this year, where they had set the upper limit at 5 million tonnes per annum.
The previous halt had come in after local prices of wheat and atta had risen sharply as India had stepped up exports of the cereal following a nearly 40% rally in global rates in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
What changes now?
The notified products will now be entitled to export without the earlier prohibition. However, it will be subject to the normal export regulations.
The revised policy covers wheat or meslin flour, including atta, maida, semolina or rava/suji, wholemeal atta and resultant atta.
The amendment allows for free exports of Wheat flour and its concomitant products for the first time since 2022.
The changes mean wheat covered under the specified HS codes, as well as wheat flour and the related products covered by the notifications, can now be exported without being classified under the prohibited export category.
In a separate notification issued on the same day, the government also removed export restrictions on wheat flour and related products falling under ITC (HS) Code 11010000.
