Wheat Prices

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra dismissed the need for wheat sales under the open market scheme, citing adequate supplies and stable prices. Wheat procurement season has ended, with stocks sufficient

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Thursday said there is no need to sell wheat from government stocks under the open market intervention scheme as supplies are adequate and prices stable. The government operates the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to regulate wheat supply and prices by selling surplus stocks from the central pool, managed by Food Corporation of India (FCI), directly to the market at preset reserve prices. "Adequate stocks are there. We have procured very healthy quantity. So there is adequate supply in the market. The prices are already stable. So there is no need of (wheat OMSS)," Chopra told reporters on the sidelines of an Indian Vegetable Oil Producers' Association (IVPA) Global roundtable. India sold about 3 million tonne of wheat under OMSS during 2024-25 fiscal year ended March, compared with about 10.1 million tonne in 2023-24. The country's wheat production is estimated at a record 117.5 million tonne in 2024-25 crop year.

Wheat bran prices drop to almost ₹20 a kg from nearly ₹25 in May 2025

Record rice stocks will help the world's biggest exporter increase shipments, while an improvement in wheat inventories will help the federal government tame any price spikes later this year

After this order, traders, shopkeepers, and business owners must report their stock of essentials to the Department of Food & Supplies within three days

According to traders, the price spike this time could last a little longer as the Centre's ability to intervene in the market through open market sales might get squeezed due to dwindling stocks

Wheat stocks in state warehouses totalled 20.6 million tons at the start of December, slightly higher than the previous year's 19.2 million tons, but far below five-year average of 29.5 million

Wheat markets are also anticipating a decision on imports in the near future if prices continue to remain high

The government on Wednesday further tightened wheat stock holding norms for wholesalers, small and big chain retailers, and processors to curb hoarding and check price rise. "As part of continuous efforts to moderate prices of wheat, the central government has decided to revise the wheat stock limit applicable until 31st March 2025," the food ministry said in a statement. According to the revised norms, wholesalers are now allowed to maintain wheat stock up to 1,000 tonne instead of 2,000 tonne, retailer can hold 5 tonne for each outlet instead of 10 tonne, while big chain retailer can hold 5 tonne for each outlet instead of 10 tonne earlier. Processors will be allowed to maintain 50 per cent instead of 60 per cent of their monthly installed capacity multiplied by the remaining months till April 2025. The stock limits on wheat were first imposed on June 24 and later revised to tighten the norms on September 9 in order to manage the overall food security and to prevent hoarding and

Mustard acreage was down as farmers seem to be shifting towards other crops due to better returns

The record prices are likely to lift retail inflation that surged to a 14-month high in October, driven by a jump in vegetable prices and dashing hopes of an interest rate cut by the RBI next month

The government on Tuesday launched phase-II retail sales of wheat flour and rice under the Bharat brand at subsidised rates to provide relief to consumers from high prices. Wheat flour (atta) will be sold at Rs 30 per kg and rice at Rs 34 per kg in 5kg and 10kg packets through cooperatives NCCF, Nafed and Kendriya Bhandar and e-commerce platforms. "This is a temporary intervention to provide relief to consumers," Food Minister Pralhad Joshi said after flagging off the mobile vans of these cooperatives. The government has allocated 3.69 lakh tonne of wheat and 2.91 lakh tonne of rice from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for the phase-2 retail intervention under the Price Stabilisation Fund. "This intervention will continue till the allocated stock gets exhausted. If more (is) required, we have enough stock and will allocate again," Joshi said. Under the new pricing structure, wheat flour will be available in 5kg and 10kg packs at Rs 30 per kg, while rice will be sold at Rs 34 p

Some farmers in exporting nations, such as Australia and Canada, are holding back sales in anticipation that prices will climb even higher

The millers argue that wheat prices at current levels of around Rs 2,700-2,800 per quintal are well justified, given that the MSP of the crop has been raised

Last year the government started selling wheat from its reserves in June, and between June 2023 and March 2024 it sold a record amount of nearly 10 million metric tons from stocks

The decision to re-impose the stock limit that ended in March 2024 was taken even though wheat production in FY24 is expected to be over 112 million tonnes

The government on Thursday said it will undertake suitable policy interventions to ensure stability in wheat prices for consumers in the country. After a meeting of the committee of ministers chaired by Home Affairs and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, the government said it has directed officials to keep a close watch on wheat prices. Prices of wheat and wheat flour have increased by up to Rs 2 per kg from a year ago, according to the official data. As of June 20, the average retail price of wheat stood at Rs 30.99 per kg, up from Rs 28.95 a year ago, while wheat flour price rose to Rs 36.13 per kilogram as against Rs 34.29 per kg last year, the data showed. The ministers discussed the position of wheat stocks and prices in detail during the meeting. In a statement, the Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry said, "The Union Minister directed that a close watch may be kept on the prices of wheat and suitable policy interventions to be undertaken to ensure price stability for the consu

A drop in state procurement has fuelled the buzz about impending imports. Will that really be necessary?

Prices of some farm commodities have softened from their peaks, with state agencies also cracking down on hoarding and selling some grains from state reserves

Wheat procurement for the 2024-25 marketing year has surpassed last year's total of 262.02 lakh tonnes, boosted by strong contributions from the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, the government said on Friday. In a statement, the government said 262.48 lakh tonnes of rabi (winter)-sown grain has already been purchased for the central pool, benefiting 22.31 lakh farmers, with a minimum support price outflow of Rs 59,715 crore. The major procuring states were Punjab with 124.26 lakh tonnes, Haryana with 71.49 lakh tonnes, Madhya Pradesh with 47.78 lakh tonnes, Rajasthan with 9.66 lakh tonnes and Uttar Pradesh with 9.07 lakh tonnes. Wheat procurement normally runs from April to March, but the Centre this year allowed states to make purchases based on crop arrivals. In most states, the procurement began in early March. The government has set a wheat procurement target of 300-320 million tonnes for the 2024-25 marketing year. Rice procurement is also progressing smoothly, with 728