India Bans Wheat Exports
Recently the Government of India has banned the export of wheat to control the rising domestic prices.
The following reasons are responsible for the ban on export of wheat:
This was necessary to ensure the country’s overall food security and to continue to support the needs of neighboring and poorer countries.
The Russo-Ukraine war has led to a sharp rise in global wheat prices. As a result of this, some farmers were selling wheat to traders.
Due to this there has been a sharp decline in the purchase of buffer stock by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). India’s wheat crop has also been affected by the heat-wave. This has reduced production.
Rising food and energy prices have pushed India’s annual retail inflation to an eight-year high.
Wheat:
- Wheat crop is grown in Rabi (winter) season. India is the second largest producer of wheat in the world.
- Climate Requirement: It can be grown in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions including the cold regions of the far north.
- The crop requires cool and humid weather during most of its growth period. It needs dry and warm weather to be able to ripen properly.
- The ideal temperature range for wheat crop is 20-25°
- Extremely high or low temperatures and droughts are harmful to the wheat when the grain is forming or flowering.
- The ideal soil for wheat cultivation should be loamy or loamy texture with good structure and medium water holding capacity.
Other headlines related to wheat-
- In order to prevent hasty sale of wheat, the central government has relaxed the Fair and Average Quality (FAQ) norms for wheat in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
- Under this, the limit for government procurement of “dry and broken grains” has been increased.
- In March, the wheat grain had shrunk due to unseasonal heat. This made wheat unfit for procurement as per normal quality norms.
- Fair and Average Quality (FAQ) wheat crop is fully grown. It has proper shine. The main varieties are golden or pale yellow in color, the grain is not dark, and there are no streaks.
Source – The Hindu
