Wheat imports may rise 26.5% this year

Flour millers may import about 200,000 tonnes of wheat — mostly Australian — this financial year to meet their requirement of high-protein variety of the grain.

Last financial year, the country had imported 158,000 tonnes of wheat. At present, there is no import duty on wheat.

“Flour millers require high-protein wheat for blending, which is used to make bakery products. This year, there is less availability of this variety due to poor crop in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and higher procurement in Madhya Pradesh,” Roller Flour Millers Federation Past President M K Dattaraj said.

He said wheat import could rise to about 200,000 tonnes this financial year, but it would depend on the government policies regarding imports and open market sale scheme.

“Currently, Australian wheat is cheaper by Rs 40-50 a quintal in southern states compared to domestic wheat,” he said, adding that flour millers were importing wheat due to an inadequate supply of high protein variety in the domestic market and not because of price factor.

At present, the delivered price of Australian premium wheat is Rs 1,570 a quintal in Bangalore. Millers import wheat either directly or through trading agencies.

India produced a record 80.98 million tonnes of wheat in 2009-10, exceeding last year’s output of 80.68 million tonnes.