Government Wheat Auction Under OMSS to Resume

07-Jan-2026 01:28 PM

New Delhi. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) had attempted to sell wheat from its stocks to millers and processors through e-auctions under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) in November-December, but it did not achieve the desired success.

Consequently, the auction was suspended last month. The minimum reserve price for government wheat has been fixed at Rs 2550 per quintal for 2025-26, excluding transportation costs.

Millers and processors found this price high, and therefore, sales of government wheat were significant only in those states where transportation costs were negligible or low.

Since the Food Corporation has a substantial stock of wheat and the next wheat crop is also expected to be excellent, it feels the need to reduce its stock.

The arrival of new wheat and government procurement will begin in March-April, which will regularly increase the stock in the central pool. The government warehouses also hold a huge stock of rice.

According to official sources, the process of auctioning wheat may resume next week. The government has allocated a quota of 30 lakh tonnes of wheat for sale under OMSS in the financial year 2025-26, but so far only 5.30 lakh tonnes have been sold.

Although the lean season for wheat supply has already begun, no unexpected surge in wholesale market prices is being observed.

Millers and processors have stocks of this important food grain, and due to the implementation of stock limits, traders/stockists are regularly releasing their goods into the market. Therefore, wheat prices remain relatively stable within a certain range in most areas.