India set to export record 7 million tonnes wheat this year
(File Photo) Workers harvesting wheat
Indiaissettoexportarecord7milliontonnesofwheatthisyearas a rally in global prices gives the world's second biggest producer of the grain an opportunity to gain market share, a top government official said.
"Indianwheatexports have picked up," Sudhanshu Pandey, the most senior civil servant at the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, told reporters on Saturday.
"By the end of February, we had alreadyexported 6.6milliontonnesofwheat. Still one month is left."
In the 2012-13 fiscalyear,Indiashipped arecord6.5milliontonnes.
A recent rally in international prices has madewheatshipments more lucrative for traders.
Benchmarkwheatprices in Chicago have surged by more than 40% this week on fears of supply disruptions due to sanctions on Russia and the war in Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine together account for 30% of worldwheatexports.
Traders last week saidIndia'swheatexports were expected to accelerate with a flurry of enquiries from buyers seeking alternatives to Black Sea shipments.
Indiawill also send 50,000tonnesofwheatto Afghanistan, Pandey said, in a bid to help the country facing poverty and hunger since the takeover by the Taliban lastyear.
New Delhi has already sent 4,000tonnesof the grain to Afghanistan via an infrequently used land route through Pakistan.
