Ukraine bans exports of wheat, oats and other food staples to ensure supplies

Ukraine’s government has prohibited the export of wheat, oats and other staples that are crucial for global food supplies as authorities attempt to ensure they can feed people during Russia’s intensifying war.

New rules on agricultural exports introduced this week likewise prohibit the export of millet, buckwheat, sugar, live cattle, meat and other “byproducts” from cattle, according to a government announcement.

The export ban is needed to stop a “humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,” stabilize the market and “meet the needs of the population in critical food products,” Roman Leshchenko, Ukraine’s minister of agrarian and food policy, said in a statement posted on the government website and his Facebook page.