All-India average wholesale prices of wheat up 22% so far this year: Govt

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Average wholesale price of wheat rose 22 per cent across India to Rs 2,721 per quintal in November from Rs 2,228 per quintal in January this year, the government data showed.

In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said, "The prices of agricultural produce including wheat are determined by the demand and supply conditions in the market, international prices etc."

As per the data, all-India monthly average wholesale prices of wheat stood at Rs 2,228 per quintal in January, Rs 2,230 in February, Rs 2,339 in March, Rs 2,384 in April, Rs 2,352 in May, Rs 2,316 in June, Rs 2,409 in July, Rs 2,486 in August, Rs 2,516 in September, Rs 2,571 in October and Rs 2,721 per quintal in November. Prices of October and November are provisional.

The Centre had imposed a ban on wheat exports in May to control prices.

"Wheat production has declined marginally from 109.59 million tonnes in 2020-21 to 106.84 million tonnes in 2021-22 and the all-India yields of wheat declined in 2021-22 to 3,507 kilograms/hectare from 3,521 kg/hectare in 2020-21 due to severe heat wave during March and April, 2022 in major wheat growing states like Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan," the minister said.

The procurement of wheat in rabi market season (April-June) of 2022-23 fell to 187.92 lakh tonnes as against 433.44 lakh tonnes in 2021-22 as market price of wheat was higher than the ruling minimum support price during the period, he added.