Govt urged to ban wheat export amid Ukraine crisis

Ukraine holds a share of almost 12% in the global export market for the staple grain

HYDERABAD:

War in Ukraine will disrupt the wheat supply in the international market, agriculture experts warned urging the government to stop export of local grain.

Ukraine as the third largest exporter of wheat holds a share of almost 12% in the global export market for the staple grain, they explained.

A farmers' lobby group, Sindh Abadgar Board, has advised the government to maintain wheat stocks through procurement during the on-going harvest and stop wheat export.

The group also warned against smuggling of the grain to the neighbouring country.

The Sindh Abadgar Board in its meeting held in Hyderabad warned that the war in Ukraine will push up the wheat price in the international market.

Disruption in Ukraine wheat supply will push the prices higher and opportunists might sell off the food security to fill their coffers, the board said.

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The meeting, chaired by Dr Bashir Nizamani, pointed out that the wheat harvest has started in Sindh and the government needed to prevent smuggling of the crops to the foreign lands, says a press statement. "The government should ensure that the stocks remained within the country and that every effort is made to keep the strategic reserves."

Dr Zulfiqar Yousfani, Mahmood Nawaz Shah, Aslam Mari, Imran Bozdar, Arbab Ahsan, Mahfooz Ursani and other farmers representatives attended the meeting.

The meeting noted that last year Pakistan imported wheat to meet the local demand. The board also drew attention towards importing potash and phosphorous recalling that the prices of these fertilizers almost doubled last year due to shortage in the local market.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2022.