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Union Meals Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Wednesday mentioned the costs of wheat in wholesale and retail markets have come down by about Rs 5 per kg after the Centre’s choice to promote 3 million tonnes of the grain within the open market, and asserted that extra steps can be taken if required to ease charges.
The federal government is carefully monitoring the costs of wheat and atta (wheat flour) and, if wanted, will take extra steps, together with providing extra wheat underneath the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS), to carry down the costs and supply aid to shoppers, Chopra informed reporters right here.
He mentioned the federal government shouldn’t be contemplating any proposal as of now to raise the ban on wheat exports, which was imposed in Might final 12 months after a pointy fall in its procurement.
“From the time the OMSS was introduced in January, wheat costs have come down. Wheat costs in wholesale markets are ruling lower than Rs 2,500 per quintal,” he mentioned, and hoped that the costs would fall additional within the coming days.
The federal government of India could be very very involved and monitoring the state of affairs very carefully,” he mentioned.
“No matter additional steps have to be taken by way of bringing down the costs we’ll take,” Chopra mentioned.
The choices embody growing the portions underneath the OMSS from the present 3 million tonnes and in addition lowering the reserve value.
On the sidelines, the meals secretary mentioned that the wholesale costs have fallen to round Rs 2,500 from Rs 3,000 per quintal, whereas retail costs have eased to Rs 2,800-2,900 per quintal from Rs 3,300-3400 per quintal.
Final month, the federal government introduced plans to promote 30 lakh (3 million) tonnes of wheat within the open market from its buffer inventory underneath the OMSS, as a way to test rising wheat and wheat flour costs.
Out of the 30 lakh tonnes, Meals Company of India (FCI) will promote 25 lakh (2.5 million) tonnes to bulk shoppers like flour millers via e-auction and a couple of lakh tonnes can be given to states/union territories. 3 lakh tonnes of wheat are being supplied to establishments and state-PSUs at a concession for changing wheat into wheat flour.
Chopra mentioned the second spherical of public sale of wheat for 1.5 million tonnes is occurring on Wednesday throughout the nation.
He highlighted that the federal government has lately decreased costs to 21.50 per kg from Rs 23.50 for establishments like NAFED and Kendriya Bhandar for changing into atta and promoting to shoppers at Rs 27.50 per kg, as in opposition to the sooner price of Rs 29.50 per kg.
Underneath the OMSS, the Centre had final week determined to dispose of freight fees and promote the grain at a reserve value of Rs 2,350 per quintal to bulk customers pan India via e-auction.
The states are allowed to buy wheat from FCI for their very own schemes at above reserve costs with out collaborating in e-auction.
FCI has already bought 9.26 lakh tonnes of wheat out of 25 lakh tonnes to merchants, flour mills and so on in the middle of the primary e-auction held throughout February 1-2. The subsequent public sale can be held on February 15.
FCI, the federal government’s nodal company for procurement and distribution of foodgrains, had round 156.96 lakh tonnes of wheat as of January 26 within the buffer inventory.
On April 1, the nation would have a wheat inventory of 96 lakh tonnes, simply above the buffer norm requirement of 75 lakh tonnes.
The Centre had banned wheat exports in Might final 12 months to manage costs, after a slight fall in home manufacturing and a pointy decline within the FCI’s procurement for the central pool.
India’s wheat manufacturing fell to 107.74 million tonnes within the 2021-22 crop 12 months (July-June) from 109.59 million tonnes within the earlier 12 months resulting from warmth waves in a couple of states. The procurement fell sharply to 19 million tonnes this 12 months from round 43 million tonnes final 12 months.
The world underneath protection for wheat crops within the present rabi (winter-sown) season is barely larger.
On Tuesday, the Agriculture Ministry predicted that wheat manufacturing might rise to report 112.18 million tonnes within the present 2022-23 crop 12 months. The procurement of wheat will begin in full swing from April.
(Solely the headline and movie of this report might have been reworked by the Enterprise Customary workers; the remainder of the content material is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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