MOSCOW -- Russia has lifted its flour export ban on January 1, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Tuesday.

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The embargo has been lifted after the Russian government decided to meet the appeals from flour millers who feared losing foreign customers.

Russia introduced the ban on grain export, including wheat, barley, rye, corn and flour, on August 15 following the worst summer drought in decades. The heatwave damaged around a third of the country's crops.

Ban on other grain products remained in force.

Initially, the ban was effective until December 31, 2010, but it had later been extended to June 30, 2011.

According to Russia's Grain Union, the country exports flour to Mongolia, Afghanistan, South Korea, Israel, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Moldova and Thailand.