Punjab Cong chief seeks lifting of ban on wheat export

Such opportunities do not come very often, so we must relax the ban and allow our farmers to get benefitted from the favourable marketing conditions prevailing right now, he said.The Punjab Congress chief said he understood the concerns of the government of India to ensure availability of food in the country as also prevent rise in the prices, particularly in view of the growing inflation.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has demanded lifting of ban on the export of wheat, saying that the country has adequate buffer stock.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Warring said the ban needs to be reconsidered as the country has adequate buffer stock available and there is a growing demand in the international market for wheat.

Warring also urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take up the matter with the prime minister as the ban on wheat export has caused maximum loss to Punjab farmers.

The Congress leader said godowns and warehouses across the country are full to the capacity and a considerable quantity of wheat is rotting. “In fact, this has been happening for a long time,” he claimed, adding that now is the time when India can export surplus wheat to the needy countries when supplies from Russia and Ukraine have completely stopped due to the war.

Warring, the three-time MLA from Gidderbaha, pointed out there is a growing demand for wheat from many countries and the prices have gone up. “Such opportunities do not come very often, so we must relax the ban and allow our farmers to get benefitted from the favourable marketing conditions prevailing right now,” he said.

The Punjab Congress chief said he understood the concerns of the government of India to ensure availability of food in the country as also prevent rise in the prices, particularly in view of the growing inflation. However, he said available data suggests that India has adequate buffer stock and the production is also very good this year, so the country can afford to spare the surplus quantity for exports.

The Centre had banned wheat exports in a bid to check high prices amid concerns of wheat output being hit by scorching heat wave.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)