The Ban on the export of wheat will continue till India doesn't feel comfortable with respect to food security, while the government is hopeful that an increased wheat production will ensure ample supply in the domestic market.
Pointing to the 10,727 MT wheat procured in Madhya Pradesh yesterday for central pool as highest ever for March 27, Food Corporation of India's (FCI) Chairman Ashok K Meena said that the total wheat arrival in the central Indian state has been 5.56 lakh MT so far, where the initial arrivals have been picked up by the private sector.
Terming the response to the pan-India parity in wheat reserve price as "good", he added that 33.78 lakh tonnes of wheat was sold in the 6 rounds of auctions under OMSS operations from February 1. Centre has already allowed states to start procuring wheat early to avoid distress sale by farmers.
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Meena said that India is likely to achieve its targeted wheat production and the 342 LMT procurement target for the Rabi marketing season, describing low temperatures in March this year as good for the full maturing of wheat.
Stating that wheat sowing was timely and rains didn't cause any damage to the quantity of wheat, he noted that the qualitative damage will be assessed in due course. While the government has estimated a wheat procurement of 132 LMT from Punjab, 175 LMT from Haryana and 80 LMT from Madhya Pradesh, wheat's opening balance with the FCI for April 1 is expected to be 84 LMT, after the targeted wheat for OMSS and NFSA is fully lifted.
Wheat prices at mandis have fallen compared to the last week of January, and the government is more fall in prices as 32.10 MT wheat has been lifted and the process is continuing.
While the 2nd advance estimates had accounted for weather fluctuations while projecting a wheat harvest of 1121 LMT in this season, the government feels that rain may affect wheat quality at certain places.
Wheat procurement has been delayed by a few days across states due to rains, though there are no reports of any significant damage to wheat crops or harvest. Aware of the high moisture content in harvested wheat, farmers are delaying its transport to the mandis and are waiting for it to dry.
Wheat harvest with large moisture content is either rejected at mandis or farmers are asked to wait. Last year, wheat produce with only less than 12 percent moisture content was allowed in many states.
For coarse grain, a procurement target of 13 LMT has been set, out of which 4.70 LMT has been procured across India except for Odisha, where coarse grains will be distributed separately via a state government scheme.
Coarse grains ragi, bajra and jowar are procured from Haryana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
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