An Empowered Group of Ministers on Food has decided to release to states five million tonnes of wheat and rice for Public Distribution System for both the categories of BPL and APL families. It has also decided to continue ban on the export of pulses for one more year. Speaking to reporters after the meeting of the EGoM, the Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Mr. Sharad Pawar said that the concessions for import of pulses will also continue.Mr.Pawar added that stockholding of sugar will continue for three months. The Minister added that this year the production of sugar will be around 245 lakh million tonnes. The meeting was presided over by the finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. It was held in the backdrop of high prices of vegetables, especially tomato and garlic. Earlier in the day, Cabinet Secretariat also reviewed prices of essential commodities with secretaries of key ministries, including agriculture and consumer affairs.