Wheat import order under lens: Pawar

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said the government would review the decision to allow wheat import once the rabi procurement season is over.

"The decision to allow import of wheat does not mean that the country has become a food importing nation. It was allowed to maintain buffer stock," he said.

He said the buffer stock was not for general consumption and would be used as a reserve to meet demand exigencies such as flood and drought.

Expressing happiness at progress of wheat crop so far, he said the procurement of wheat was likely to be higher by 2-2.5 lakh tonne this season as against last year level.

To a query on contract specification for wheat imports, he said "we will stick to our specified norms for this purpose".

Earlier this month, the country allowed import of wheat after a gap of seven years. State Trading Corporation (STC) was mandated to carry out the wheat import exercise.

Subsequently, STC invited global bids for five lakh tonne wheat, which closed yesterday.

A total of eight global trading companies took part in the tender, sources said.

Import destination along with the rates will be cleared by the Union cabinet as per the recommendations of the state owned trading corporation, they added.