Centre warms up to allowing wheat product exports with quantitative curb

Consumer Affairs urges DGFT for taking action against flour millers demand to open exports

In a relief to flour millers, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has urged the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to take appropriate action on a request from millers to open exports of wheat products with a quantitative restriction of 1 million tonnes (mt). The DGFT functions under the Ministry of Commerce. 

The request, according to sources, has been made in view of surplus production of both wheat and wheat products, and their ample domestic availability. 

In a letter to DGFT, the ministry said that as flour millers have sought allowing exports due to prevailing surplus and strong production outlook, necessary action as deemed appropriate is “requested to be taken”. 

Wheat products that are meant for consumption include wheat bran (choker), whole wheat flour (atta), fine wheat flour (maida), semolina coarse (suji motee), and fine macaroni products, etc. 

India being a major producer of wheat is also a big exporter of wheat products to world markets that include European and Asian countries, and also Africa. India a few years ago not only banned wheat exports but also put a curb on exports of products to protect domestic consumers. 

However, a few months back, it allowed exports of wheat bran whole as prices dipped sharply due to extensive use of distillers’ dried grains with soluble (DDGS) — a protein-rich by-product of ethanol production — for animal feed in place of wheat bran. This led to a sharp drop in bran prices as well.

 

In 2025, India produced a record around 117.5 mt of wheat, which was 3.8 per cent more than previous year’s production. In the coming year as well production is expected to be bumper on the back of strong start to the sowing season and favourable initial weather.

 

Till November 7, wheat was sown in around 129 per cent more area as compared to the same period last year (around 2.2 million hectares). In the full season, the crop is sown in around 31.23 million hectares.

 

As on October 16, India had around 66.65 mt of wheat and rice together in its central pool stocks as against a buffer requirement of 30.77 mt.