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dpa New Delhi The Indian government has allowed the export of certain wheat consignments, a change of policy after the recent imposition of a wheat expor...

dpa New Delhi The Indian government has allowed the export of certain wheat consignments, a change of policy after the recent imposition of a wheat export ban.Wheat consignments that were handed over to customs up to and including May 13 may be exported, the Commerce Ministry said on Tuesday.In concrete terms, grain from the port of Kandla on India’s west coast may be exported to Egypt.India is the world’s second-largest wheat producer and its export ban, announced on Friday, caused uncertainty worldwide. The ministry has since clarified that there are exceptions, such as pre-ban arrangements with letters of credit and special permits given by the Indian government to countries to ensure their food security.Only shortly before the ban, Indian government officials had announced that they would help and export significantly more wheat in the face of a looming wheat shortage on the world market in the wake of the Ukraine war.Ukraine and Russia are both major wheat exporters. Recently, there have been supply shortages and price increases because of the war.Indian wheat exporters had signed export agreements with countries like Egypt and Turkey since the beginning of the war.But then the current extreme heat in India intervened, reducing the wheat harvest. Several economists also warned of a possible domestic wheat crisis.India produces the second largest wheat harvest after China - about 100 million tons per year. So far, India has exported hardly any of it.The government buys large quantities to supply the poor population of the country of 1.3 billion, among others. Until now, farmers had little incentive to sell to exporters because the government paid them a subsidized price that was higher than the world market price at the time.