Özdemir criticizes India's export ban on wheat
Created: 05/14/2022, 02:45 p.m
Cem Özdemir (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Federal Minister of Agriculture, speaks.
© Bernd Weißbrod/dpa
Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) has criticized the Indian export ban on wheat.
"We all have a responsibility for the rest of the world, especially the big export nations," said Özdemir on Saturday in Stuttgart after the end of the meeting with his counterparts from the G7 group of industrialized countries.
"I take a very critical view of that," he said, referring to New Delhi's decision.
Stuttgart - According to the will of the department heads, the G7 heads of state and government should now discuss the issue, as Özdemir reported.
India will be a guest at the summit at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria at the end of June.
Germany currently leads the group of states.
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According to host Özdemir, the G7 are generally opposed to export bans.
"We are calling for the markets to be kept open." India, the world's second-largest wheat producer, had previously announced that it would ban grain exports with immediate effect.
The decision was made in light of the rise in global wheat prices, threatening India's food security.
According to Özdemir, the G7 want to monitor the prices for production and food more closely than before, for example fertilizers.
To this end, the agricultural information system of the G20 group of industrialized and emerging countries should be strengthened.
In addition to Germany, the G7 group includes the USA, Canada, France, Great Britain, Italy and Japan.
dpa
