India bans exports of wheat, citing threat to food security

NEW DELHI (AP) — India has banned exports of wheat effective immediately. A notice in the government gazette by the Directorate of Foreign Trade said a spike in global prices for wheat had put the food security of India and neighboring and vulnerable countries at risk. Ukraine and Russia account for a third of global wheat and barley exports. Since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion, Ukraine’s ports have been blocked and civilian infrastructure and grain silos have been destroyed. India consumes most of the wheat it produces, but it had set a goal of exporting 10 million tons of the grain in 2022-23. Much of that would have gone to other developing countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.