NEW DELHI: The Government has allowed shipment of up to 15,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice to Nepal, partly easing the ban on exports of the foodgrain. 

“Ban on export of non-basmati rice shall not be applicable to export of 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes to Nepal,” Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. 

The shipment of non-basmati rice could be made only through state-run trading firm STC. The government agency has been asked to ensure that export to the neighbouring country does not affect the overall price situation of rice in the domestic market.

The Commerce Ministry has directed STC to source the exported quantity from more than one state, to avoid any disturbance in the market on prices of the foodgrain. 

The STC would buy the rice from millers having surplus stock, it said. The notification also said that the rice to be shipped to Nepal should have minimum 25 per cent broken grain. 

Export of non-basmati rice is banned from April 1, as part of measure to control inflation. But it has allowed shipment to a few African countries on humanitarian ground. 

Last month, export to four African countries - Nigeria (15,000 tonnes), Senegal (15,000 tonnes), Ghana (15,000 tonnes) and Cameron (10,000 tonnes) - were allowed. 

Besides, the Commerce Ministry also allowed two export-oriented units from Pondicherry and Andhra Pradesh to ship 25,000 tonne of non-basmati rice in the 2008-09 season (October-September). Venkatachalapathi Modern Rice of Pondicherry and Bharat Exporter s in Andhra Pradesh were allowed to export 12,500 tonnes rice each, the DGFT had said, while fixing the minimum export price of $1,000 a tonne. - PTI