Wheat harvesting got delayed this year because of unseasonal rains, affecting procurement, said Navneet Chitlangia, president, Roller Flour Millers’ Federation of India, adding that the rains also impacted wheat quantity and quality with a loss in lustre and colour.
Wheat-the main rabi (winter) crop-is procured through the April-March period. However, much of the grain is bought in the first few months itself, mainly by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies.
FCI and its agencies have procured 1.53 million tonne so far since the start of the procurement operation from April 1, a sharp decline from 5 million tonne in the year-earlier period.
The minimum support price of wheat is ₹2,585 per quintal while mandi prices are at ₹2,300-2,400 per quintal.
The Centre has approved the export of 250,000 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat and an additional 500,000 MT of wheat products after reviewing domestic availability and prices.