STC, PEC Invite Export Bids For Wheat And Rice To Bangladesh.

Government-run trading agencies STC and PEC have invited bids for export of 3 lakh tonne of non-basmati rice and 2 lakh tonne of wheat to Bangladesh.

Although India has banned export of wheat since 2007 and export of non-basmati rice from April 2008, the government has allowed overseas sale of these two commodities to the neighbouring country through the diplomatic route.

According to the tender floated by STC, the trading firm has invited bids for export of 2 lakh tonne of non-basmati rice and 1 lakh tonne of wheat.

In a separate bid, PEC has invited bids for export of 1 lakh tonne each of non-basmati rice and wheat.

Bids floated by STC and PEC will close on May 30, and the decision on awarding the export contract will be taken on the same day, the trading firms said.

The export should be undertaken within 100 days from the date of the issue of the contract, it noted.

STC and PEC issued the tenders after Bangladesh food minister Mohammad Abdur Razzaqe met food minister KV Thomas earlier this year to resolve the prices and quality issues of the two commodities.

Bangladesh had earlier insisted that the quality inspection should be done at its ports. However, India did not agree to the demand because of repeated instances of rejection of the consignment. Sources said that the issue between the two countries has now been sorted out.

In the separate tender notices, both STC and PEC have specified that bidders should export non-basmati rice stored in FCI godowns in and around Kakinada Port in Andhra Pradesh.

In case of wheat, bidders should export wheat stocked in FCI godowns in Punjab region. Additionally, the rice and wheat consignments should be loaded at Kakinada and Kandla port in Gujarat, respectively.

Source : financialexpress.com