# Concern mounts that exporters will curb sales of food staples amid lockdowns | The Straits Times

> Concern is rising that exporters may restrict food staple sales during lockdowns covering about a fifth of the world's population. Vietnam and Kazakhstan have already moved to restrict sales, Russia's vegetable oil union has called for curbs on sunflower seed exports, and Iraq needs 1 million tonnes of wheat.

- Date: 2020-03-26 · published 2020-03-26T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: geopolitics · region Global · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/54090-concern-mounts-that-exporters-will-curb-sales-of-food-staples-amid-lockdowns
- Commodities: [Wheat (SRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WHEAT.md), [Rough Rice](https://feedsoft.ai/c/RICE.md), [Sunflower Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SUNMEAL.md)

## Why it matters

Export restrictions by several major suppliers and fresh import demand from Iraq tighten world wheat, rice and vegetable oil supplies, supporting prices across these markets.

## Read by commodity

- RICE: bullish ▲
- WHEAT: bullish ▲
- SUNMEAL: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WHEAT | 2020-07-09 | [Even China Will Feel the Impact: Suspension of Ukrainian Grain Exports Threatens Global Food Security — Leonid Kozachenko \| Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation](https://feedsoft.ai/events/51992-even-china-will-feel-the-impact-suspension-of-ukrainian-grain-exports-threatens.md) | +0.7% | -0.2% |
| WHEAT | 2018-08-31 | [Farming News - US, European prices recover on the news that Russia are likely to curb wheat exports, global production of rapeseed is down](https://feedsoft.ai/events/63569-farming-news-us-european-prices-recover-on-the-news-that-russia-are-likely-to.md) | +4.7% | -1.4% |
| WHEAT | 2026-03-05 | [Fertiliser costs are soaring amid war in the Middle East. Will your grocery bill follow?](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6256-fertiliser-costs-are-soaring-amid-war-in-the-middle-east-will-your-grocery-bill.md) | +1.7% | +1.2% |
| WHEAT | 2026-08-01 | [Ukraine's Black Sea ports lose a third of grain export capacity, farmers' union says](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14098-ukraine-s-black-sea-ports-lose-a-third-of-grain-export-capacity-farmers-union.md) | -0.8% | +3.0% |
| WHEAT | 2018-08-29 | [U.S. grains: Wheat soars on new rumours of Russian export curbs - Manitoba Co-operator](https://feedsoft.ai/events/63567-u-s-grains-wheat-soars-on-new-rumours-of-russian-export-curbs-manitoba-co.md) | +5.6% | -0.9% |
| RICE | 2018-04-23 | [Egypt's rice farmers see rough times downstream of new Nile mega-dam](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10865-egypt-s-rice-farmers-see-rough-times-downstream-of-new-nile-mega-dam.md) | -1.4% | -5.1% |
| RICE | 2022-03-17 | [Rice Prices Rise in Asia Amid Stockpiling, Conflict - Laotian Times](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11339-rice-prices-rise-in-asia-amid-stockpiling-conflict-laotian-times.md) | +0.8% | -0.7% |
| RICE | 2026-04-30 | [From surplus to strain: Iran war and El Nino threaten global rice supply - The Japan Times](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10153-from-surplus-to-strain-iran-war-and-el-nino-threaten-global-rice-supply-the.md) | +12.1% | +22.7% |

## Sources

- straitstimes.com: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/concern-mounts-that-exporters-will-curb-sales-of-food-staples-amid-lockdowns

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.