New Delhi, Aug 24 (PTI) The government on Monday lifted the export ban on wheat and its products with immediate effect, a move which is expected to ease the availability of the commodity in the international market.

The Russia-Ukraine war has affected the global wheat supply chain.

India, the world's second-largest wheat producer, banned wheat exports in May 2022 as part of measures to control rising domestic prices.

The government has also removed the export ban on wheat flour and other products such as maida, semolina, and wholemeal atta, according to notifications issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

"The export policy of wheat....is revised from prohibited to free with immediate effect," one of the notifications stated.

In February, the government had allowed exports of 25 lakh tonnes of wheat.

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra stated in April that India's wheat production for the 2025-26 crop year is likely to be between 110 and 120 million tonnes, following crop damage from unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms in key growing states.

The Roller Flour Millers' Federation of India has projected the wheat output at 110.65 million tonnes for this year, slightly above the 109.63 million tonnes produced in 2024-25, after factoring in recent weather damage.

The government had a wheat stock of 22.2 million tonnes as of March 31. PTI RR MR