Wheat Consignment

Centre imposes stock limit on wheat to curb hoarding, stabilise prices

Centre has imposed a stockholding limit on wheat for retailers, wholesalers, processors and big-chain retailers from Monday, to check the hoarding of the foodgrain and to ensure price stability, a senior official said on Monday. Single retailers, big-chain retailers, processors and wholesalers will disclose wheat stocks every Friday, said Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra in a press briefing here. Chopra stressed that "I want to dispel the shortage of wheat in the country." He also noted that there is no ban on wheat exports as of now and there is no proposal to review a ban on export of sugar. He stated, "We want prices of wheat to be stable." Chopra further informed that the stock limit for wholesalers will be 3,000 tonnes, while it would be 70 per cent of the processing capacity for processors. For big chain retailers it would be 10 tonnes per outlet with an overall limit for 3,000 tonnes and for single retailers it would be 10 tonnes, he informed. Chopra explained that the

Heavy rain, hail lower India's chance to reap record wheat crop output

The farm ministry in February predicted a record harvest of 112 million tons this year, and farmers will begin collecting crops in April

FCI sells 429,000 MT wheat, 14,760 MT rice in West Bengal via e-auction

The Food Corporation India (FCI) has sold 4.29 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and 14,760 metric tonnes of non-fortified rice through 25 open market e-auctions in West Bengal from June to December this year, an official of the agency said on Saturday. FCI Deputy General Manager (West Bengal region) Pradeep Singh said the Open Market Sales Scheme (domestic) had been done through the e-auction portal of M-junction. "In a bid to stabilise the prices of the cereals and also to increase affordability for the general public, the FCI has sold 4.29 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and 14,760 metric tonnes of non-fortified rice in West Bengal through 25 open-market e-auctions from June to December this year," Singh said. The FCI will also continue to supply the staples through the public distribution system (PDS) free of cost, he said. While the reserve price of wheat for e-auction sales is Rs 2,150 per quintal, it is Rs 2,900 per quintal for non-fortified rice. Singh said fortified rice is supplie

Centre further raises 2023 wheat production estimate to 112.74 mt

The purchases though are much higher than last year's multi-year low procurement of around 19 million tonnes

Wheat procurement up 42%, Madhya Pradesh extends sale window

Earlier, the farmers were allowed to sell wheat in some divisions till May 12 and for the others it was till May 15

Despite inclement weather, wheat purchase in Punjab to be high at 12 mn MT

Wheat procurement in Punjab in the current rabi marketing season is expected to be better at 120 lakh metric tonne than last year'sat 120 lakh metric tonne, despite vagaries of weather that caused damage to the crop. Given the ongoing crop arrivals in grain markets of the state, Punjab is expected to purchase 120 lakh metric tonne of wheat for the central pool, said an official of the Punjab Food and Civil Supplies department. This purchase will be higher than last year's procurement of 96.47 lakh MT. The crop was adversely affected last season because of sudden rise in mercury during March which is the grain filling stage. Untimely rains accompanied by hail storms and high-velocity winds caused extensive damage to wheat and other crops at many places in Punjab, including in Fazilka, Muktsar, Moga and Patiala districts in March and April this year. The rough weather had an impact on around 14 lakh hectare out of total sown area of 34.90 lakh hectare and it was anticipated that the

Farmers protest against Centre's value cut on broken wheat grains in Punjab

Farmers in Punjab squatted on railway tracks at many places in the state as part of their four-hour 'rail roko' agitation against the value cut announced by the Centre on shrivelled and broken wheat grains due to untimely rains. The protest impacted the movement of many trains and caused inconvenience to passengers. Several farmer bodies including Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and BKU (Lakhowal) had announced that they would block rail tracks from 12 noon to 4 pm. Protesters squatted on rail tracks in many places including Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Sangrur, Fazilka, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran. In some places, the protesting farmers even put up tents on the rail tracks. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan on Tuesday said that farmers restored to the "rail roko" protest against the Centre for imposing the value cut on shrivelled and broken wheat grains for their procurement. He dubbed the government's decision "anti-farmer". In Ferozepur, a

Wheat procurement down by 18% at 41 lakh tonne due to harvest delays

The government has procured 41 lakh tonne wheat at the minimum support price directly from farmers so far in the ongoing 2023-24 marketing year (April-March), down 18 per cent from the year-ago period, a top FCI official said on Monday. Speaking to PTI, Food Corporation of India (FCI) Chairman and Managing Director Ashok K Meena said the procurement has been less due to delay in harvesting and lower arrivals in mandis especially in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan because of the recent unseasonal rains. The untimely rains had led to damage to the crop in some parts of the wheat-growing states, thus deteriorating the quality of the grain in few places. However, the government has eased procurement norms for wheat in five states -- Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan -- in the interest of farmers, he said. "Wheat procurement has reached 41 lakh tonne till April 16 of the current marketing year, slightly lower than 50 lakh tonne in the year-ago ...

India in touch with Turkey on wheat consignment rejection: Food Secy

After India banned wheat exports on May 13, the secretary said five-six countries have requested for Indian wheat and the govt has formed a committee to clear the grain for export to such nations

Turkey rejects Indian wheat consignment on phytosanitary concerns: Report

Turkey's decision comes at a time when international buyers have been looking to secure supplies of wheat

Banned wheat exports to ensure adequate supply, says Union minister

Union Minister Kailash Choudhary on Sunday said the Centre had placed a ban on wheat exports to ensure adequate availability of the food grain in the country. The ban was put in place on May 14 in order to control domestic prices amid concern that wheat output may be hit due to a prevailing heatwave. "For us the country is first and our priority is to make available adequate wheat to our citizens, We have banned wheat export so that people don't face shortage," the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare told reporters here. India's wheat exports stood at an all-time high of 7 million tonnes, valued at USD 2.05 billion, in 2021-22, with over 50 per cent being bought by neighbouring Bangladesh. Queried on whether the Centre would provide financial relief to farmers facing losses due to the sudden ban on exports, Choudhary only said the government buys produce at minimum support price. Listing the Narendra Modi government's schemes for the farming sector, Choud

Sharp drop in procurement: Centre weighs 10% tax to rein in wheat exports

Exporters' mandatory registration on cards; PMO to decide on export ban

First Indian wheat consignment via Chabahar reaches Afghanistan

New Delhi is a major development aid partner for strife-torn Kabul