Govt imposes stock limits on wheat with immediate effect till March 2024

13 Jun 2023 Evaluate

In a bid to check hoarding and contain rising prices of the key commodity, the government has imposed stock limits on wheat with immediate effect till March 2024, for the first time in 15 years. The government also decided to offload 15 lakh tonnes of wheat to bulk consumers and traders from the central pool from month-end under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). Apart from wheat, rice will be offloaded to bulk buyers under the OMSS and the quantity will be decided in due course of time.

The government made it clear that it has no plans to tweak the wheat import policy as the country has ample stock. It further said the ban on wheat export would continue and further export of sugar will be not permitted as of now. The stock limit on wheat has been imposed until March 2024 just before the commencement of General Elections to control prices. Last time, the stock limit was imposed in 2008.

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said the stock limit has been imposed on wheat because some ‘unscrupulous elements are holding the stock and creating artificial scarcity’ driving mandi prices up by almost 8 per cent in the past month. He said ‘the wholesale and retail prices have not gone up to that much. With the lag, we expect the wholesale and retail prices will also go up as modal mandi prices are showing upswing. The government has imposed stock limit on wheat…’. Wheat prices in mandi rose to Rs 2,302 per quintal on June 7 from Rs 2,129 per quintal a month before.

A stock holding limit of 3,000 tonnes has been imposed on wheat traders/wholesalers; 10 tonnes on retailers, 10 tonnes for each outlet of big chain retailer and 3,000 tonnes at all their depots. In the case of processors, 75 per cent of annual installed capacity. They have been directed to declare the stock position and update them regularly on the portal of the Department of Food and Public Distribution. In case, the stocks held by them are higher than the prescribed limit, then they have to bring the same to the prescribed stock limits within 30 days of the issue of this notification.

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