India calls out West on Wheat Export, says “food security at risk”

Calling out the West, India on Wednesday called out to the West and urged food grains should not go the way of the covid-19 vaccines and expressed concern over an “unjustified increase” in food prices.

India said it has restricted the wheat exports in order to make the ends meet for those in need.

“A number of low-income societies are today confronted with the twin challenges of rising costs and difficulty in access to food grains. Even those like India, which have adequate stocks, have seen an unjustified increase in food prices. It is clear that hoarding and speculation are at work. We cannot allow this to pass unchallenged,” Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on while speaking at the ministerial meeting on ‘Global Food Security Call to Action' chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken under the US Presidency of the UN Security Council for May.

The meeting came just days after India declared a ban on wheat export to control domestic inflation and shortage of wheat due to unexpected temperature rises.

Muraleedharan further said in the meeting that the Indian government has taken the cognizance sudden soaring of wheat prices in the global market which put “our food security and those of our neighbors and other vulnerable countries at risk.”

"To manage our overall food security and support the needs of neighboring and other vulnerable developing countries, we have announced some measures regarding wheat exports on May 13, 2022,” he said.

“Let me make it clear that these measures allow for export based on approvals to those countries which are required to meet their food security demands. This will be done at the request of the concerned governments. Such a policy will ensure that we will truly respond to those who are most in need,” he added.