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.