After flour, India plans to restrict broken rice exports
Workers carry sacks of rice at a factory on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in India, April 20, 2020. REUTERS / Amit Dave
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Faced with rising prices on the domestic market, the Indian government decided on Friday to suspend exports of wheat flour.
Already in May, the export of wheat had been banned.
It is now broken rice that could suffer the same fate, posing a risk to global food security.
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With our correspondent in Bangalore,
Côme Bastin
Like all the inhabitants, Madama, 28, has been suffering from food inflation for months.
“
That's where I go to buy my basic kitchen supplies.
And look, rice and wheat flour are increasing every week.
A kilo of rice is 70 rupees [0.88 euro] whereas before it was 50 rupees [0.63 euro]…
”
The halt in the export of wheat decided in May by the Indian government caused in return a 200% increase in flour exports.
Flour prices
have logically exploded in India, reaching more than 300 euros per ton.
Back home, Madama has two children to feed while her husband is a lowly
rickshaw
driver .
"
With this price increase, I can no longer make as much bread as before to feed my family,
" she says.
We are not hungry, but it takes an increasing part of our daily expenses.
Without forgetting the gasoline which is also very expensive.
»
Food security at stake
Monsoons have caused crop failures and
India is now considering restricting broken rice exports
to maintain '
food security
'.
Basmati type whole rice should not be affected.
India was aiming to ship 10 million tonnes of flour this year.
Much would have gone to other developing countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.
►Also read
: After the Indian embargo on wheat, the World Bank tries to prevent famines
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