Phil Star (Global business section) published an article that stated attaining food self-sufficiency is of utmost important. The government cannot and should not treat our agricultural sector and our farmers as dispensable just because our consuming public can import everything it needs. We should be importing only those crops that cannot be grown here. But for those that we can, like rice and corn, there is just no excuse for resorting to imports to meet demand. IFPRI noted that as the war continues, there is a growing likelihood that food shortages, particularly of grains and vegetable oils, will become acute, leading more countries to turn to restrictions on trade. India has already banned wheat exports to manage its own overall food security, becoming the latest country to do so as the price of grain surged this year due in part to the Russia-Ukraine war. In addition to Russia and Ukraine, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Serbia have also banned wheat exports. Indonesia has restricted exports of palm oil. It accounts for more than half of the world’s palm oil supply. (See tool, Food & Fertilizer Export Restrictions Tracker).
