Centre permits 500,000 tonnes of wheat product exports under strict rules

The Centre has permitted exports of 500,000 tonnes of wheat products, namely wheat flour (atta), maida and semolina, but under strict conditions.

 

This permission to export wheat products comes just weeks ahead of the 2026 harvest season, in which wheat production is expected to touch a new record.

 

India had banned exports of wheat and wheat products some years ago to control domestic prices.

 

However, some months ago, it permitted exports of wheat bran, whose prices had dipped sharply due to the extensive use of distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS) — a protein-rich by-product of ethanol production — for animal feed in place of wheat bran.

   

Traders said allowing some quantity of wheat product exports could provide a sentimental boost to prices ahead of the harvest season, but the impact will be limited as export conditions are very stringent.

 

Among the conditions, the government said all applicants desirous of exporting wheat products should apply through the DGFT website.

 

The first set of applications will be invited from January 21, 2026, to January 31, 2026.

 

Thereafter, applications shall be invited during the last ten days of each month until such time the quantity of exports permitted under the aforesaid notification, as amended from time to time, is exhausted, the official order said.

 

It also said the validity of export authorisation shall be for a period of six months from the date of issuance, and any request for extension of the validity period shall be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

The government order further said exporters who have been allocated a quota of wheat flour and related products shall submit the landing certificate within 30 days of completion of export of the consignment within the allocated quota.

 

Navneet Chitlangia of the Roller Flour Millers’ Federation of India, while welcoming the government’s decision, said the order will help India’s wheat flour industry recapture overseas markets.

 

He said Indian wheat flour has an authentic aroma and taste, because of which it will be quickly accepted by the Indian diaspora and even foreign nationals.

 

A few months ago, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs had urged the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to take appropriate action on a request by millers to open exports of wheat products with a quantitative restriction of one million tonnes. The DGFT functions under the Ministry of Commerce.

 

India, being a major producer of wheat, is also a significant exporter of wheat products to global markets, including Europe, Asia and Africa.

 

In 2025, India produced a record 117.5 million tonnes of wheat, which was 3.8 per cent more than the same period last year. This year as well, production is expected to be bumper on the back of a strong sowing season and favourable initial weather.

 

Till January 9, 2026, wheat was sown over about 1.86 per cent more area compared with the same period last year, covering around 33.41 million hectares.

 

In a full season, the crop is sown over around 31.23 million hectares.

 

This means wheat acreage this year is 7 per cent higher than the average area covered over the last five years.

 

As on December 16, India has around 60 million tonnes of wheat and rice together in its central pool stocks, against a buffer requirement of 21.4 million tonnes. EoM