The Government on Friday lifted a two-year ban on the export of de-oiled rice bran (DORB), a key ingredient in cattle feed.
India had imposed a temporary export ban on DORB in August 2023 to boost domestic feed supplies and contain cattle feed prices, which were contributing to rising milk costs.
“The export policy of de-oiled rice bran is hereby amended from prohibited to free with immediate effect,” the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said.
“The most of expected to benefit that rice-milling and solvent extraction industry particularly in eastern India with opening export opportunities, while also adding farmers and processors in securing better realisation for by-products of rice bran,” BV Mehta, executive director, Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) , said.
The SEA has earlier urged the government to lift the export ban to protect domestic processors and support farmer incomes. Before the restrictions, India exporter 0.5 – 0.6 million tonne of DORB annually, valued at around Rs. 1000 core, mostly to Asian markets
Because of the ban, importers in countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nigeria shifted to alternative protein sources including maize, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and rice, industry sources noted.
Meanwhile the government exempted applicable restrictions and prohibitions for the agricultural commodities line dairy goods, onions, potatoes , certain vegetables, rice and wheat, to Bhutan, according to a DGFT notification.
These exemptions are also on other commodities, including team, soyabean oil, groundnut oil, palm oil, animal, vegetable fats and oils.
Source: Financial Express
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