The High Commission of India yesterday said a number of recent media reports regarding India's upping of its minimum export price of rice were misleading and inaccurate.

In a press release the High Commission said, "In the last few

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days, there have been reports in Bangladesh media about changes in minimum export price applicable on export of rice from India Some of these reports suggest that changes in the minimum export price from US $425 per tonne to US $500 would be applicable to Bangladesh only. Such reports are misleading and inaccurate."

It said the restrictions on export of non-basmati rice imposed by India are not country-specific. The changes notified on December 27, 2007 in the minimum export price are also not country-specific.

It said India imposed export restriction on non-basmati rice with effect from October 9, 2007, taking into account availability and prices of rice in the Indian domestic market. The restriction is not applicable to exports undertaken under food aid programme

Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee during a visit to Bangladesh on December 1, 2007 said the government of India would waive the ban on export of five lakh tonnes of rice to Bangladesh.

The press release said Bangladesh or its agencies could purchase the five lakh tonnes of rice through the State Trading Corporation of India Ltd, Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation or National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.

It said that it believed the Bangladesh government is in touch with the agencies for early procure-mentofrice. . . «. • •