India says wheat export ban to help neighbours, other vulnerable nations

The government will start granting exemptions to the ban on export of wheat 'on case-to-case basis'

India’s move to control exports of wheat will ensure its food security and maintain its reliability as a supplier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government said a day after it drew flak from the Group of Seven nations for imposing restrictions on sending grains to other countries.

New Delhi restricted exports of wheat not only to manage the domestic food security situation but also to support the needs of neighbouring and vulnerable countries, which were adversely affected by the sudden changes in the global market and were unable to access adequate supplies, according to a statement issued by the Embassy of India in Berlin.

A source in New Delhi said that the government would a few days later start granting exemptions to the ban on export of wheat “on case-to-case basis” particularly to the “neighbours and friends” of India.

The statement was issued in Berlin in response to German agriculture minister Cem Ozdemir’s critical remarks about New Delhi’s move to restrict export of wheat from India.

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Hours after the Modi Government in New Delhi on Saturday banned export of wheat without its prior approval, Ozdemir said that if every nation started to impose restrictions, the global crisis would worsen. He also said that India’s ban would affect its neighbours like Bangladesh and Nepal.

The Embassy of India in Berlin responded, stating that the government’s move to restrict export would serve three main purposes – ensuring food security of the country, checking inflation and helping other countries facing food deficit. It added that the restrictions would maintain reliability of India as a supplier.

“The amendment also aims to provide a clear direction to the wheat market to prevent hoarding of wheat supplies. The decision to regulate wheat exports and direct them through government channels would not only ensure the fulfilment of the genuine needs of India’s neighbours and food-deficit countries but also control inflationary expectations,” it added.

India has already been drawing flak from the United States and other western nations for not joining them in denouncing Russia for its aggression against Ukraine.