home
People across South Asia are struggling to cope with a sudden severe shortage of affordable wheat and rice. There have been queues outside Pakistani shops in towns around the country, and flour prices have shot up. Wheat flour is a staple foodstuff in Pakistan, where rotis or unleavened bread are eaten with almost every meal. Last week Afghanistan appealed for foreign help to combat a wheat shortage while Bangladesh recently warned it faced a crisis over rice supplies. Global wheat prices are at record highs. Problems have been compounded by crop failures in the northern hemisphere and an increase in demand from developing countries.
Afghan Commerce Minister Mohammad Amin Farhang said wheat shortages could lead to serious problems during the winter. His call came amid rising discontent inside Afghanistan at the spiralling cost of wheat and other basic foods. Afghanistan does not grow enough wheat to feed all its people and is partially dependent on imports.
On Thursday, the chief of the Bangladesh army, Gen Moeen U Ahmed, said that he was “very concerned” about the problem of rice supplies which he said must be redressed immediately. Many people in the country have been hit hard by spiralling food prices, which in some cases have doubled over the last year, mostly because of damage caused by heavy monsoon rain. A delegation from Bangladesh is now in India to discuss importing rice to offset the shortages.
