India has prohibited all exports of wheat with immediate effect, the country’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced on Friday.
The ministry said the drastic move was necessary due to “a sudden spike in the global prices of wheat arising out of many factors, as a result of which the food security of India, neighboring and other vulnerable countries is at risk.”
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has put the world on the brink of major food crisis as the two countries are major suppliers to the international market, accounting for around 30% of global wheat exports.
Food prices around the world have soared by a third, with the UN warning that some 44 million people are heading towards starvation.