India mulls grain exports

India is weighing wheat exports to Myanmar, Egypt and Indonesia, and rice aid shipments to Iran, as state granaries fill with surplus grain. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The Times of India reported on April 12 that officials are considering wheat sales to those three countries and humanitarian rice shipments to Iran after a high-level meeting in the Prime Minister’s Office reviewed excess stocks. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) India’s food department said on April 6 that public stocks stood at about 222 lakh tonnes of wheat and 380 lakh tonnes of rice, against April 1 buffer norms of 74.6 lakh tonnes and 135.8 lakh tonnes. (thehindubusinessline.com) Those stockpiles matter because the Food Corporation of India has to make room for the new winter harvest, especially in Punjab and Haryana, where procurement for the 2026-27 wheat marketing season is underway. (financialexpress.com) The wheat move would extend a policy shift that began on February 24, when the Directorate General of Foreign Trade amended export rules to allow a one-time quota of 25 lakh metric tonnes. The same notification kept a separate channel open for government-approved shipments requested by other countries for food security needs. (content.dgft.gov.in) That is a change from May 2022, when India curbed wheat exports after a heat wave hit output and domestic prices climbed. The food department said in 2024 it was still monitoring wheat stocks closely to control prices and keep supplies available at home. (pib.gov.in) Iran is a different case because the reported rice shipments are framed as aid, not regular trade. The Iranian Embassy in New Delhi said on April 12 that a second shipment of India-donated medical aid had already been dispatched to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. (msn.com) The West Asia conflict has already disrupted India’s commercial rice trade with Iran. The Hindu reported last month that about 60,000 tonnes of basmati rice were stuck at Indian ports, while the Times of India said pending exporter payments ranged from 2,000 crore rupees to 25,000 crore rupees. (thehindu.com) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) For now, the proposal is still at the discussion stage, not a formal cabinet or trade order. The next signal will be whether New Delhi issues country-specific approvals for wheat and converts the Iran rice plan from internal talks into an announced aid shipment. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)