Wheat flour supply not affected by India's ban, says minister

KUALA LUMPUR - The supply of wheat flour in the country is not expected to be affected by the wheat ban by India following a heatwave in the country.

According to the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP), Malaysia imports 80 percent of its wheat from Australia with the balance from the United States, Canada and Ukraine.

"Therefore, India’s wheat export ban following the heatwave is not affecting the supply of wheat flour in the country,” the ministry said in a tweet today,

A total of 2,200 KPDNHEP enforcement personnel would be monitoring to ensure the supply of subsidised and non-subsidised flour is stable in the market.

External Trade director-general under the Trade Ministry in a notice dated May 13 announced that India had stopped the export of wheat with immediate effect to boost its own food security.

Wheat export to other countries would only be allowed on the approval of the government and is based on the demand of their government.

India exports seven million tonnes of wheat worth about US$2 billion in the 2021-22 finance year and half of it was bought by Bangladesh.

Recently media reports said the production of wheat in India this year was affected by the heatwave apart from that, the country is also facing rising inflation following the high global prices of the commodity. - Bernama