KATHMANDU: India, the world’s second-biggest producer of wheat, has approved export of 50,000 tonnes of the grain to Nepal, the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies said today.

India had banned the export in early 2007 and had lifted the restriction for a few days in July last year before re-imposing it.

India’s decision to export the grain heralds good news because some national and international organisations have been saying that Nepal may

have to face acute food crisis

in the coming days.

High-level government officials are holding discussions with India to resume the export of food items, including wheat, to Nepal. Ministry spokesperson Ganesh Dhakal said the Indian government has agreed to allow the export of wheat as requested by the government of Nepal. The production of wheat has fallen in the country this year due to drought. “We are also requesting the Indian government to allow export of other food items to Nepal to tackle the looming food crisis,” Dhakal added.

Nepal has further asked the Indian government to resume export of rice. However, though India has agreed to provide rice, Nepal is yet to tell India how much rice it wants, Anil Kumar Thakur, Director General

of the Commerce Department said today. “India has been asking us how much rice we need; however, it is our fault that we have not been able to send the details,” Thakur said.

During meetings with high-level officials, the Nepali side

has been requesting India to lift the ban of export of food items in Nepal. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had requested the Indian Prime Minister to lift the ban during the former’s India visit last August.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, an arm of the commerce ministry of India, yesterday said the state-run Food Corporation of India

will export the grain from government stocks.

“On January 1, wheat

stockpiles were 23.0 million tonnes, nearly three times the targeted 8.2 million. When the new marketing year begins on April 1, wheat stocks are expected to be 4.7 million tonnes,” Indian Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said last month.

Indian traders said the partial lifting of the ban on wheat exports indicates the federal government’s confidence on higher wheat harvests, the main winter food crop of the country.