India Lifts 4-Year Wheat Export Ban to Boost Farmer Incomes

India on Monday, August 24, 2026, lifted its four-year-old ban on wheat and wheat product exports with immediate effect, a move officials said is aimed at boosting farmer incomes amid depressed domestic prices. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade issued notifications revising the export policy for wheat and related products from "prohibited" to "free," ending a quota-based system that had been in place earlier this year.

The decision marks a significant shift in the country's trade policy for the staple grain. India, the world's second-largest wheat producer, first imposed a broad export ban in May 2022 to control rising domestic prices and safeguard food security following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which disrupted global supplies and sent prices soaring. Restrictions were later extended to wheat flour and other products.

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra explained the rationale for the change. "The export ban has been lifted in the interest of farmers. Domestic wheat prices are depressed currently. Allowing exports will increase market prices, encourage good sowing in the coming rabi season and help farmers receive better prices," he said. Chopra added that there is...