Drought-hit India bans all wheat exports

Harvesting wheat in a field on the outskirts of the Indian city of Ahmedabad, March 14, 2013. REUTERS/Amit Dave

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India has just banned the export of wheat, in a bid to control food inflation and maintain sufficient reserves after the recent harvest was damaged by an exceptional heat wave.

A decision that could handicap some countries that had turned to New Delhi to compensate for the drop in wheat exports from Ukraine.

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With our correspondent in New Delhi,

India's harvest was set to hit records, and Prime Minister

by sending wheat to countries dependent on Ukrainian and Russian grain.

But that was without counting on global warming: the

in March ravaged the Indian ears and should cause the harvest to fall by more than 4% compared to last year, according to estimates.

This deficit comes as annual food inflation here has already climbed to 8.3% in April.

The Indian government therefore keeps this wheat for domestic consumption - it prohibits any further private export, but reserves the right to sell it to countries that are in essential need.

Egypt and Turkey, hitherto customers of Ukraine, have already placed an exceptional order with India.

Other African and Middle Eastern countries are also interested.

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