The Centre has pegged the total wheat requirement to run its various schemes in the marketing year ending March at 15 million tonnes, a senior government official said today. | |
| He said the 15-million tonne requirement includes demand under the targeted public distribution scheme, other state-run welfare schemes and open market sales. |
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| Though the government has not sold wheat under the open market scheme so far, it plans to do so in the festive season to keep prices under check, the official said. |
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| The Centre has a total supply of 15.8 million tonnes wheat this year, including last year's carry over of about 4.7 million tonnes and procurement of 11.1 million tonnes. |
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| It needs more than 17 million tonnes for the current marketing year, including about 12 million tonnes for public distribution and other state-run schemes, 4 million tonnes for next year's buffer and cushion of at least 1 million tonne for open market sale. |
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| To meet the gap between supply and demand, the government has already imported 511,000 tonnes wheat this year and plans to import more in tranches. |
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| The official said the government was planning to import 3-5 million tonnes wheat this year to meet the demand and hold an adequate buffer to meet exigencies. |
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| Meanwhile, another official had earlier said the government's wheat imports may be higher than the actual requirement as it is hopes to build a buffer of 6.5 million tonnes by April to keep prices under control ahead of general elections in 2009. |
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