Page 2 - Wheat

38% of wheat area harvested so far in India, says Agri minister Chouhan

The country has harvested 38 per cent of the total wheat area of an estimated 32 million hectare so far in the ongoing 2025-26 marketing season, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday. In view of the possibility of good yield of various rabi crops, Chouhan directed the officials to make better procurement arrangements for farmers. Wheat "harvesting conditions are better" in key growing states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Bihar, the minister said in a statement. The government has set a wheat procurement target of 31 million tonnes for the 2025-26 marketing season (April-March). As per the official data, farmers have completed harvesting in 91 per cent of the total rabi pulse areas, 87 per cent of oilseeds area, 70 per cent of Shree Anna and coarse cereals area and 33 per cent of rice area as on April 4. About 59 per cent of the total rabi crops area has been harvested as on April 4 across the country. Besides rabi crops like

Govt mandates weekly wheat stock reporting to curb market speculation

The government has introduced a mandatory weekly wheat stock reporting requirement for traders, wholesalers, retailers and processors from all states and Union territories, starting April 1, as part of a comprehensive strategy to manage food security and prevent market speculation. Under the directive, all legal entities must declare their wheat stock positions on the government's online portal every Friday until further notice, according to an official statement. The wheat stock limit currently in place is set to expire on March 31. The Department of Food and Public Distribution will closely monitor the disclosures to control prices and ensure consistent wheat availability throughout the country. Entities not yet registered on the portal are urged to do so immediately and begin their weekly stock reporting, according to the statement.

Centre expects record 115.43 mn tonnes wheat output in 2024-25 rabi season

At present, wheat prices in the Delhi mandis are ruling at around ₹3,000 per quintal, almost 24 per cent higher than the minimum support price (MSP) of ₹2,425 per quintal

Scorching March likely to put India's wheat crop production at risk

India, the world's second-biggest wheat producer, is counting on a bumper harvest in 2025 to avoid costly imports, after three consecutive years of poor crop yields since 2022

From farm to follicles: How toxic wheat led to mass baldness in Maharashtra

Over 300 villagers in Maharashtra's Buldhana suffer sudden hair loss, with tests revealing high selenium levels in Punjab-sourced ration wheat as the likely cause

Centre tightens wheat stock limits amid persistent price pressures

The tightening has been done under the powers given to the Central government under the Essential Commodities Act

Wheat crop in India under threat from warm weather before harvest

Rainfall across the country's northwest region, a major wheat growing belt, has been almost 80 per cent below normal since the beginning of the year, according to the India Meteorological Department

Russia wheat export prices rise for 4th consecutive week, shipments decline

Despite continued price increases, exporters' margins remain low. In addition, bad weather at ports has had a direct impact on shipments

IMD forecasts warm Feb; above-normal temperatures may hit wheat crop

The cold wave days over Northwest India are also expected to be 'below-normal' in February

Govt sets wheat procurement target at 30 MT for 2025-26 rabi season

The government has set a conservative wheat procurement target of 30 million tonnes for the 2025-26 rabi marketing season, sources said. The lower procurement target comes despite the Agriculture Ministry aiming for a record wheat production of 115 million tonnes in the 2024-25 crop year (July-June). For the 2025-26 rabi marketing season starting April, the minimum support price for wheat has been fixed at Rs 2,425 per quintal. The procurement target was set following discussions with state food secretaries, the sources added. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies conduct wheat procurement to ensure farmers receive minimum support prices and to meet welfare scheme requirements. In 2024-25, government wheat procurement reached 26.6 million tonnes against a target of 30-32 million tonnes. While this exceeded the 26.2 million tonnes procured in 2023-24, it fell short of that year's 34.15 million tonne target. Wheat procurement in 2022-23 was just 18.8 million tonnes

Wheat sowing at 32 million hectares until January 3, shows data

If the final area covered under wheat stays at around 32 million hectares, this would mean that acreage in 2025 is 1.74 per cent more than 2024 and 2.4 per cent more than the normal acreage

Wheat acreage matches normal area, raising hopes of regular harvest

With the weather expected to turn cold in north India and a forecast of mild showers, it should augur well for the standing crop

Govt further tightens stock limit on wheat to check hoarding, price hike

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

Tracking the fields: Wheat sowing maintains momentum, mustard still down

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

BARC launches high-yield, climate-resilient varieties of wheat, rice

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, has introduced eight new high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties of wheat, rice and oilseeds, it said on Friday. Developed using radiation-based mutation breeding techniques, these non-GMO crop varieties are set to "revolutionise" agriculture across India, the BARC said in a statement here. The new varieties -- five cereals and three oilseeds -- are tailored to diverse agricultural conditions and were launched in collaboration with state agricultural universities. Speaking at the launch, Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, highlighted BARC's significant contribution in enhancing farmer incomes and boosting food and nutritional security. Vivek Bhasin, Director, BARC, called these varieties a "boon for farmers" due to their early maturity, disease resistance, climate resilience, salt tolerance, and higher yields compared to existing options. India's

Govt to sell 2.5 MT of FCI wheat under OMSS till Mar 2025 to check prices

The government on Thursday announced the sale of 25 lakh tonne of FCI wheat till March 2025 to bulk domestic consumers to check the "inflationary trend in the food economy". Wheat will be sold under the government's Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) initiative, managed by the state-owned Food Corporation of India (FCI) to regulate the supply and prices. The nodal Food Ministry, in a statement, said a reserve price for wheat under OMSS is fixed at Rs 2,325 per quintal for fair and average quality (FAQ) grain and Rs 2,300 per quintal for URS (Under Reduced Specifications) grain. Wheat will be sold until March 31, 2025, through e-auction to private parties, including flour mills, manufacturers of wheat products, processors and end users. However, the government did not reveal the date of commencement of the FCI wheat sale to bulk users. Last year, FCI sold more than 10 lakh tonne of wheat to bulk users under the OMSS.

Harsh weather curbs global wheat output, fuels sudden price surge

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

Traders demand stock release, say wheat curb insufficient to contain prices

But the curbs failed to bring down prices, which were trading at 28,416 rupees ($339.53) per metric ton in New Delhi, up from 24,000 rupees in April

Flour mills urge govt to release wheat stocks as prices hit 9 months peak

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

Govt allows FCI to sell wheat from stocks to flour millers, biscuit makers

Last year, FCI began selling wheat to private players in June. It sold a little more than 10 million metric tons in the fiscal year to March 2024, a record sale from state reserves