India exported wheat when others put curbs

India exported wheat worth $177 million in March and $473 million in April after the Russia-Ukraine conflict began late February. India shipped the food grain at a time at least eight countries - Egypt, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Kosovo, Ukraine and Belarus - imposed restrictions on wheat exports.

Amid New Delhi drawing flak for its decision last week to impose restrictions on wheat exports, sources said among the wheat exporting countries, India ranked 19th in 2020 and had an insignificant share of 0.47% in global wheat exports.



"We exported wheat despite facing challenges of low production due to the extreme heat wave in the northern part of the country but have now regulated its exports to ensure food security of India, our neighbours and vulnerable countries," said an official.

Last week, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade issued a notification banning exports of wheat with immediate effect to control price rise but later relaxed the restriction and allowed shipments of wheat consignments that were registered with the customs authority before the ban came into force on May 13.

While Egypt and Turkey have also been importing significant quantities of wheat from India, sources said they had no locus standi for asking for open exports after having restricted them.

Moreover, export restrictions have been a regular feature of major food producers which have affected India too.

Indonesia's decision to ban palm oil exports and restrictions on vegetable oil by Argentina, Kazakhstan, Cameroon and Kuwait have impacted countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh who are heavily dependent on imported edible oils to meet their domestic requirements. "Indonesia accounts for around a third of all vegetable oil exports and the restrictions have resulted in a significant price rise and India has been at the receiving end for these," the official said.

India has already expressed its concerns over hoarding of food grains leading to unjustified increase in food prices in the world and said that the food grains should not go the way of Covid vaccines for which poor countries struggled even for initial doses while rich nations had sufficient amount.