India bans wheat exports in times of global shortage

India has banned the export of wheat with ‘immediate effect’. The rise in world prices caused by the war in Ukraine would endanger India’s food security, India’s central government said late on Friday. announced† Extreme heat waves in the country also cause scarce grain production.

India is the second largest wheat producer in the world after China. The country aimed for an export record of 10 million tons this year, report Indian media† For example, India wanted to respond to the shortages in Europe, among others, which were caused by the disappearance of large grain producers in Ukraine and Russia. The country would also have wanted to ship a lot of grain to developing countries.

With the ban, the export target will not be achieved, but India wants to control domestic prices. The global wheat price has risen more than 40 percent since the beginning of the year, especially since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the Netherlands, bread and grain products were almost 6 percent more expensive last month compared to last year, according to Numbers of the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Extreme temperatures

Wheat exports from India are only allowed if agreements are made on or before May 13, the effective date of the ban, or if it concerns shipping to developing countries struggling with severe food shortages. The government of India says it has made the decision to “meet the food security requirements of India, and neighboring and other vulnerable developing countries adversely affected by the sudden changes in the world wheat market,” the statement said.

Indian grain supplies are also under pressure, partly due to the extreme temperatures that hit the country in the spring already this year. In addition, during the corona crisis, the authorities gave away free grain to hundreds of millions of people.