The Indian government said that it would allow 600,000 tonnes of unmilled rice to be exported to Nepal. Issuing a notice late on Monday, India said that it would allow the companies to export unmilled rice to the Himalayan Kingdom, which traditionally relies on India to fulfill its food grains requirements. The world's biggest exporter of rice on Sept. 8 banned exports of broken rice and imposed a 20% duty on exports of various grades as it sought to boost domestic supply and calm local prices after below-average monsoon rainfall curtailed planting, according to Reuters.

India, now, said it will allow cargoes of white and brown rice backed by letters of credit issued before Sept. 9 to be shipped overseas, a measure that provides some relief to exporters grappling with fresh government curbs.

The surprise move trapped nearly 1 million tonnes of rice at ports which had been in transit before the government made the announcement. "It's a big relief, which we have been asking for the last few weeks," said B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association, according to Reuters. Export prices for Indian white rice have risen 12% since Sept. 9.