MUSCAT: The ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine prompted the Arab countries to look for for alternative markets to import wheat. According to the World Food Program, nearly 70 percent of Arab countries’ imported wheat comes from Russia and Ukraine.

The New York Times in a report issued recently stated that the Sultanate of Oman is among the ten Arab countries that import wheat from conflict-ridden countries of Ukraine and Russia.

The statistics contained in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report on world food production for 2021 allow identifying countries that will serve as an alternative to Russia and Ukraine in terms of wheat imports, in case more sanctions are imposed on Moscow’s wheat exports.

FAO statistics refer to the most important alternative countries to Russia and Ukraine, namely the United States of America, where wheat production reached 51 million tons last year, and Canada, whose production amounted to 31.1 million tons. Pakistan’s wheat production rose last year to 26.2 million tons, and Britain, whose production reached about 14.5 million tons.

China’s production exceeded 136 million tons, but cannot export because of its large population, as it has to import more than 11 million tons above its own production.