Restrictions imposed on food exports were leading to an increase in wheat prices, World Trade Organisation director general Pascal Lamy said during a meeting of agriculture ministers in Berlin last week.

The meeting was held as part of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, which encompasses 53 countries.

Mr Lamy said the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation noted the food index had busted the yearly record.

After 2009’s financial crisis, the world was facing problems in the food sector, breeding new tensions between various countries, he added.

Resources Minister George Pullicino, who attended the conference, stressed the need for sustainable production.

The conference coincided with the International Green Week held in Berlin, where Maltese exhibitors were present for the second consecutive year.