The Indian government, on Friday, October 3, 2025, announced a crucial decision to lift the export ban on de-oiled rice bran, a vital ingredient widely used in the cattle feed industry. This reversal comes after persistent appeals from the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), a leading body within the edible oil sector, which had consistently urged the government to ease these restrictions.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) officially formalized this change, declaring that the export policy for de-oiled rice bran has been immediately amended from ‘prohibited’ to ‘free.’ The ban itself had been in effect since the previous year.
In related announcements, the DGFT also issued a separate notification granting immediate and indefinite exemptions from existing restrictions and prohibitions on various agricultural commodities destined for Bhutan. These exempted items include dairy products, onions, potatoes, a range of vegetables, rice, and wheat, reflecting India’s strong bilateral ties with its friendly neighbor.
Additional commodities now exempt from restrictions for export to Bhutan encompass tea, soybean oil, groundnut oil, palm oil, various animal and vegetable fats and oils, cane or beet sugar, and salt.
Furthermore, the DGFT confirmed a special, one-time exemption for the export of 100 tonnes of Wheat seed (DWR-162). This specific consignment will be dispatched from the University of Dharwad to Indonesia, facilitated by the National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL) via the Mangalore sea port. This particular export is conditional upon certification from either the University of Dharwad or the Department of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka. It’s important to note that, generally, commodities like wheat remain subject to broader export restrictions or prohibitions.