Agriculture ministers from the G7 industrialised nations immediately condemned India’s decision on Saturday.
India has banned exports of wheat effective immediately, citing a risk to food security, partly due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict and as a scorching heatwave curtailed output following economic inflation and decline in the value of Rupee.
Although not one of the world’s top wheat exporters, India’s ban can drive global prices to newer heights given already taut supply, hitting underprivileged consumers in Asia and Africa particularly hard.
“If everyone starts to impose export restrictions or to close markets, that would worsen the crisis,” German agriculture minister Cem Ozdemir said at a news conference in Stuttgart.
“We call on India to assume its responsibility as a G20 member,” Ozdemir said.
Government officials in New Delhi said on Saturday that India would still allow exports backed by already issued letters of credit and to countries that request supplies “to meet their food security needs”.
