Food or fuel? As wheat prices fall, some Lithuanian farmers are burning their crops

advert, heating with wheat is more cost-effective than using pellets or firewood, with wheat priced at around €140 per tonne, compared to €260 for pellets. Ryla told LRT Radio that while people are free to do what they like with their produce, the issue is more complex because wheat growing is subsidised by the European Union. Selling EU-funded crops as heating fuel, he argues, is ethically questionable, since taxpayers ultimately foot the bill. “When you think about it, it just doesn’t seem right,” said Ryla. “It gives the impression that we’ve got a grain surplus. Maybe it’s marketing, the farmer just wants attention – but the advert sounds drastic.” Ryla said the problem is that EU taxpayers are funding grain production to make food cheaper, yet the end product is being used for something entirely different. “In other words, we’re clearly seeing overproduction. Prices have fallen so much that people can now use wheat in ways it was never meant for,” he explained. While burning ...