Ban on rice, wheat exports extended till next April

From correspondents in Delhi, India, 04:31 PM IST India on Thursday decided to extend the ban on exports of rice, wheat and pulses till next April in an effort to keep the staple food grain prices under control. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting Thursday, which was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. 'The decision to ban export of paddy, wheat and pulses till April 30 next year is expected to help tackle the problem of rising prices and improve availability of these commodities,' Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi told reporters after the meeting. In a bid to rein in inflation that is currently hovering at over 12 percent, the Cabinet Committee on Prices (CCP) had in March banned the export of non-basmati rice, and increased the minimum export price (MEP) for basmati rice to $1,200 per... [read full story]