NEW DELHI, Oct 13 (Reuters) - India allowed exports of fixed quantities of non-basmati rice to four African countries, the government said on Monday, partially lifting a ban on the grain's sales overseas. Government-run State Trading Corp would channel the export of 15,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice each to Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana and 10,000 tonnes to Cameroon, according to a notification from the Director General of Foreign trade posted on its website: here

"I welcome this step. It is at diplomatic level and I do not see it as a precursor to freeing exports of non-basmati rice," said Vijay Setia, president of All India Rice Exporters Association.

"We have enough stocks and the government should allow non-basmati rice exports," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Trade Secretary G.K. Pillai said India would consider in the first week of November lifting the ban on exports of non-basmati rice and corn.

India, like other Asian rice exporters, had in March banned exports of non-basmati rice after a series of earlier partial restrictions, in a bid to boost supplies and contain inflation. (Reporting by Nidhi Verma and Mayank Bhardwaj)