Continued Normal Fluctuations Expected in the Wheat Market

New Delhi. With the festive season now over, the wedding season is set to begin, which is expected to boost the demand for and consumption of wheat-based products. Wheat arrivals in the *mandis* (agricultural produce markets) are limited, as the market is currently in the off-season. Flour millers and processors are purchasing significant quantities of wheat. Large-scale producers, traders, and stockists hold only limited remaining stocks. Given these factors, one might expect an upward trend or strengthening in the prices of this essential food grain.

However, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) holds a massive stock of over 40 million tonnes (4 crore tonnes) of wheat and has initiated the process of offloading it through the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). The quantity of wheat offered in weekly e-auctions is being increased; the initial offering of 1.05–1.10 lakh tonnes has been raised to approximately 2 lakh tonnes.

This has significantly assisted millers and processors in meeting their requirements and has also reduced price competition among them. Consequently, bids for wheat procurement are being placed at relatively lower price points.

The industry is well aware that the government holds a surplus of wheat—far exceeding its requirements—and that the new harvest will begin arriving by March–April. Therefore, the government is making every effort to reduce its existing stocks; otherwise, a serious storage crisis could arise.

According to government data, domestic wheat production has reached a new record high of 120.7 million tonnes (1207 lakh tonnes) for the 2025–26 season, up from 117.91 million tonnes (1179.10 lakh tonnes) in the 2024–25 season. Throughout the 2025–26 marketing season, wheat prices have not shown any significant or sustained upward trend.