Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
A vehicle exploded in Washington, DC, the United States.
The Israeli occupation forces are carrying out extensive air raids on eastern and northeastern Gaza.
Israeli media: One Israeli soldier killed in a "security incident" in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip
Israeli media: Intense exchange of fire in Khan Younis
Israeli media platform reports on a tough incident in Gaza still under media censorship
Iran's judiciary says 71 killed in Israeli strike on Evin Prison
Trump: Make the deal, get the hostages back
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 67 Palestinians were martyred in 24 hours in the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip
Israeli media: For the first time, Prime Minister Netanyahu is signaling that he wants to end the war on Gaza
Israeli Channel 12, citing an American source: We want to have entered a path toward captive release and a ceasefire before Netanyahu arrives in Washington

Indian farmers see bleak harvest after wheat export ban

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 22 May 2022 08:44
4 Min Read

New Delhi has prohibited wheat shipments as prices skyrocketed due to the war in Ukraine.

  • x
  • Indian farmers  see bleak harvest after wheat export ban
    Farmers and dealers in India have been denied profit due to the wheat ban.

When New Delhi imposed a ban on wheat shipments as prices skyrocketed due to the war in Ukraine, it sparked international outrage and drove the commodity further higher.

Farmers and dealers in India are now enraged that they have been denied a profit as local prices have plunged.

Despite the fact that India is the world's second-largest wheat grower, the government, which is also the country's largest buyer of grain, stated that it decided to defend food security for its massive population over inflation worries.

The decision, along with declining global supplies from Russia and Ukraine, two of the world's top five wheat producers, propelled prices to all-time highs on Chicago and European commodity exchanges.

However, prices fell in Asia's largest grain market in Khanna, in India's breadbasket state of Punjab.

Thousands of farmers from the wheat-growing region sell their goods at the facility, which is dominated by a dozen massive storage structures the size of a football field.

Prices for 100 kilos of wheat dropped from 2,300 rupees (about $30) before the export restriction to 2,015 rupees – the government-set minimum price at which it buys grain for its huge public distribution system.

Hundreds of millions of small farmers in India live on the edge, exposed to the whims of the weather, and those in Punjab were already suffering from crop losses caused by a severe heatwave.

They claim that the price drop reflects the difference between a large payment and heartbreak.

Navtej Singh, a farmer, preserved half of his 60-tonne wheat harvest to sell during the lean season when prices generally jump and is shocked by the government's decision.

He described the ban to AFP as a "shock", adding that "the price has dropped to the lowest and doesn't even cover our expenses. I can't even wait for a day."

Related News

US bill proposes 500% tariffs on nations trading with Russia

Putin-Trump meeting in Istanbul requires mutual consent: Kremlin

According to him, authorities acted "selfishly" and the ban has made life more difficult.

Wheat is the second most-produced grain in the world after corn; now the whole world might face a wheat supply shortage due to the #Ukrainian crisis and the sanctions imposed on #Russia.#Ukraine #RussiaUkraine pic.twitter.com/aNkRuR4cj7

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 2, 2022

Heatwaves

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed to assist bridge the global wheat gap and "feed the world."

Extreme weather conditions, on the other hand, are becoming more common, a phenomenon that scientists attribute to climate change. Following a heatwave in Punjab, the national crop was four million tonnes lower than predicted.

As food security plans established during the coronavirus epidemic are reduced, federal and state authorities are decreasing procurement for the public distribution system, which supplies free and heavily subsidized grains to almost 800 million people.

Despite this, retail wheat flour prices are at a 12-year high, and Manish Pajni, head of the Punjab government's grain procurement department in Khanna, has endorsed the restriction, claiming that wholesale rates might have reached 3,000 rupees if the embargo had not been implemented.

However, trader Raj Sood believes the government should have taken a wait-and-see approach before immediately suspending shipments and generating market instability.

"The market was already under stress from the harvest crisis and, without a thought, the government came up with the ban," he said.

"No doubt the major losses will be incurred by big exporters like Cargill, ITC, and Glencore, but small traders and farmers will also be impacted."

Many Khanna businesspeople believe the move will only have a limited impact because supply and demand laws are inescapable.

Divender Verma, the proprietor of a flour mill, generally gets his raw materials from government inventories, but he said they were running low.

"This time we do not hope they can provide for us. So the scenario for wheat is tight," according to Verma.

Private suppliers would undoubtedly charge more, he warned, pushing up the price of bread and other wheat products even higher.

  • Russia
  • India
  • Wheat
  • Ukraine
  • New Delhi
  • Wheat crisis

Most Read

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a protest following the US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

Iran declares victory as ceasefire forces Israeli retreat

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Iran launches strikes on Israeli targets, despite alleged ceasefire

Iran victorious as ceasefire with 'Israel' takes effect

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
The site of a direct missile strike launched from Iran in Tel Aviv on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

Op. True Promise 3, wave 21: Multi-warhead missiles rain on 'Israel'

  • Politics
  • 23 Jun 2025
Iran says targeted US Qatar air base under Op. Annunciation of Victory

Iran says targeted US Qatar air base under Op. Annunciation of Victory

  • MENA
  • 23 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Women comfort each other by a vehicle that was burnt overnight by Israeli settlers in an attack that killed three Palestinians and burnt several vehicles and damaged homes, in Kafr Malik, east of Ramallah, Thursday, June 26, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Settlers shoot and assault Palestinians in Hizma, Masafer Yatta

Syria's interim leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, walks in the presidential palace ahead of a meeting in Damascus, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP)
Politics

Syria open to Sharaa-Netanyahu meeting at UN assembly: Israeli media

Former Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani speaks with media at the Interior Ministry in Tehran, Iran, Friday, May 31, 2024 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' failed to topple Iran, lost 12-day war, Larijani says

Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP)
Politics

War on Gaza failed to achieve objectives in Gaza: Israeli media

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS