India Receives Requests From Multiple Nations To Supply Over 1.5 Million Tonnes Of Wheat Amid Global Shortage: Report

India has received requests to supply over 1.5 million tonnes of wheat from countries that are looking to prevail over the ongoing shortage of the commodity.

“More than half a dozen countries have approached India for more than 1.5 million tonnes of wheat and we will see how to go about these requests,” a government source involved in the decision making told Reuters.

The officer added, “India is keen to help vulnerable countries and anyone who needs wheat.”

The majority of the request has come from Bangladesh as the Indian wheat costs 30 per cent cheaper to Dhaka as compared to its other sources. Moreover, the delivery period is shorter too as it takes only a week for Indian cargoes to reach there. Dhaka had imported 4 million tonnes of wheat from India in FY22.

Meanwhile, world's biggest wheat importer Egypt has requested for the supply of 5,00,000 tonnes of the grain. Apart from Bangladesh and Egypt, Jamaica and some Asian countries are the other potential buyers of Indian wheat.

Even the United Nations’ World Food Programme has urged India to deliver wheat to nations like Ethiopia and Uganda.

It should be noted that the Modi government has banned private exports of the staple but would still consider specific requests from foreign governments for supply of wheat to meet their food security needs.