Bangladesh Turns to India for Wheat Amid Global Supply Disruptions

Bangladesh is turning to India for wheat imports after a four-year gap due to disruptions in global supplies caused by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

The war has pushed up wheat flour prices by up to 17% over the past month, with domestic rice prices hitting an all-time high. This has led more Bangladeshis to switch to wheat, increasing demand for the grain.

Bangladeshi traders have booked over 200,000 tonnes of Indian wheat at between $306 and $326 per tonne, which will arrive by rail. This is Dhaka's first wheat import from India since 2022.

India has historically been a major supplier of wheat to Bangladesh, accounting for more than half of its imports in some years. However, exports were disrupted after India imposed restrictions on wheat exports in 2022 due to lower-than-expected harvests and rising global demand.