Over the last month, the government has banned the export of wheat and imposed quantitative restrictions on outbound sugar shipments. The wheat export ban came within days of a push to enhance India’s wheat supplies to the rest of the world after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This is a time of persistently high inflation, spurred by rising food and fuel prices, and there are concerns about a lower yield this year due to intensive heat waves. The government has argued that farmers have not lost out due to the ban as most had already sold their produce this season. In a discussion moderated by Vikas Dhoot, S. Mahendra Dev and Himanshu consider the efficacy of these curbs. Edited excerpts:
What do the export curbs mean for reining in inflation and addressing India’s food security concerns?
Himanshu: I don’t think the export ban is going to help much with inflation as the procurement season for the wheat crop is more or less over. I don’t think it is going to keep the prices down or help the government to procure and prepare better for food security.
