'No Plans To Import Wheat Into India': Govt Refutes Report Claiming Shortages, Says There's 'Sufficient Stock'

The Food Corporation of India has enough stock for public distribution, and there are also enough stockpiles in India to fulfil domestic demand.

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New Delhi: The government does not intend to import wheat from outside, the Department of Food and Public Distribution informed on Sunday.

The Food Corporation of India has enough stock for public distribution, and there are also enough stockpiles in India to fulfil domestic demand, it stated.

In response to a news report, the department on its official Twitter handle writes: "There is no such plan to import wheat into India. Country has sufficient stocks to meet our domestic requirements and @FCI_India has enough stock for pubic distribution."

Before the rabi harvest earlier this year, severe heatwaves in India's wheat-growing areas had an impact on certain wheat harvests.

According to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare's fourth advance estimate of crop output, wheat production for the years 2021–22 would amount to 106.84 million tonnes, down from the previously announced forecast of 111 million tonnes.

Wheat export demand increased as the tense situation between Russia and Ukraine escalated into a full-fledged war, leading to record-high wheat prices in the neighbourhood mandis.

Price increases were also a result of agricultural losses brought on by heat waves. Notably, Russia and Ukraine, the two parties to the conflict, are both significant producers of wheat.

Wheat prices were as high as Rs 2,400–2,500 per 100 kg in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, which is regarded as one of the important mandis, as opposed to Rs 2,000–2,100 prior to the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis.

As recently produced rabi harvests enter the actual marketplaces or mandis, wheat prices often stay on the lower side at this time of year.

Nevertheless, the present price of wheat in India is far higher than the guaranteed minimum support price of Rs 2,015 per 100 kg, which is an extremely uncommon occurrence. Currently, the price of wheat per 100 kg in Indore is little about Rs 2,400.

Wheat prices have also decreased considerably in other areas.

However, since the federal government timely implemented a number of policy interventions on the exports of the foodgrain, the wholesale prices of wheat in the domestic mandis have recently managed to decline from their lifetime highs and have stabilised.

For the record, India changed its export regulations for wheat and classified it as "prohibited" in order to manage the nation's overall food security and address the requirements of vulnerable neighbours and other nations.

(With Inputs From ANI)