India not facing any wheat crisis, assures agriculture minister

Sowing of wheat, the main rabi (winter) crop, had begun from October onwards, while harvesting is expected to get over by June 15 this year. The total foodgrain production is also estimated to touch a record 330.53 (Representative Image)

India is not facing a crisis as far as wheat is concerned, the minister for agriculture and farmers welfare said on July 22.

“There is no wheat crisis in the country, as India produces more wheat than its domestic requirement,” Narendra Singh Tomar said in a written response in Parliament’s Upper House.

As per third advance estimate, the wheat production has been pegged at 106.41 million tonnes during 2021-22 which is above the five-year average production of 103.89 million tonnes, the minister said.

India had on May 13 banned wheat exports to ensure domestic availability but has been allowing shipments to select countries as assistance. It has since then also tasked an inter-ministerial committee with decisions on allowing exports of wheat flour.

These moves have “no adverse impact on the income of wheat-growing farmers because despite the ban on wheat exports, the farmers are getting good remunerative prices,” the minister said. Domestic prices of wheat are above the Minimum Support Price even after the ban on exports, he pointed out.

The Russia-Ukraine war has disrupted global food and commodities supplies, including that of wheat.

India’s central pool stock of wheat as on July 1 is well above the foodgrain stocking norms, Piyush Goyal, the minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution said in a written response to another parliamentary question.

Food Corp of India and state government agencies have 285.10 lakh tonnes of wheat stock under the central pool against the stocking norms of 275.80 lakh tonnes, he added.

Even after meeting the requirements of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, which has been extended until September, and the public distribution system, the wheat stocks are projected at 134 lakh tonnes on April 1, 2023 against the stocking norms of 74.6 lakh tonnes, the Goyal said.