Consumers say that the domestic wheat market is in trouble now that Ethiopia has announced that it will supply wheat to the foreign market.
It is known that the government has announced a few days ago that the country has the capacity to cover its consumption and supply 32 million quintals of wheat to the foreign market.
However, the Flour Manufacturers Association told Voice of America that some flour mills have shut down due to a lack of resources.
The economists who gave us their opinion regarding wheat export, on their part, stated that it is normal to supply products to the foreign market despite the shortage, in relation to the demand for foreign exchange and political goals.
However, he said that the main issue is why the foreign currency obtained in this situation will be used.
It’s understandable that the Ethiopian government needs to find a way to address its foreign exchange demands. It is prudent, though, to satisfy the domestic demand for wheat and other grains first. The government should prioritize meeting its domestic consumption needs for wheat first rather than export it to earn foreign exchange. Ethiopia is one of the poorer countries in the world that has invariably been considered as food insecure and at times engulfed by famine or on the verge of undergoing famine.