Many steps taken by the government to increase the supply and availability of wheat
21-Jun-2024 05:59 PM
New Delhi. In order to ensure adequate supply and availability of wheat in the domestic sector and to curb the rise in prices,
many necessary precautionary steps have been taken by the Central Government during the last two years. First of all, a ban was imposed on the commercial export of wheat and its value added products and while maintaining it,
stock limit was imposed on 12 June 2023 for the period up to 31 March 2024. Under this, a quantity of 3000 tonnes was fixed for traders wholesalers, 10 tonnes for retailers, 10 tonnes at each outlet for big chain retailers and 3000 tonnes at all depots. For processors, a stock of 75 percent of its annual capacity has been fixed.
After this, the open market sale scheme was started on 23 June 2023 and an allocation of 2 lakh tonnes of wheat per week was fixed for sale. On 14 September 2023, the stock limit was reviewed and the quantity of stock holding was reduced.
The wheat stock limit for stockists/wholesalers was reduced to 2000 tonnes and the stock limit for all depots of big chain retailers was also fixed at 2000 tonnes.
After this, on 5 October 2023, the maximum purchase quantity of wheat for each buyer under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) was increased from 10 tonnes to 100 tonnes and on 1 November 2023 it was doubled to 200 tonnes and the weekly allocation was also increased to 3 lakh tonnes.
From 6 November 2023, the government implemented the Bharat Atta Scheme and under this its sale was started at the rate of Rs 27.50 per kg. Thereafter, on 8 December 2023, the wheat stock limit was once again reduced to 1000 tonnes for stockists/wholesalers, 5 tonnes for retailers,
5 tonnes for each outlet for big chain retailers and 1000 tonnes at all depots. Along with this, the allocation for weekly sale of wheat under OMSS was increased from 3 lakh tonnes to 4 lakh tonnes. On 16 December 2023,
the Food Corporation fixed the issue price of wheat at Rs 1715 per quintal for NAFED / NCCF / Central Store. The weekly allocation was increased from 4 lakh tonnes to 4.50 lakh tonnes on 31 January 2024 and 5 lakh tonnes on 7 February 2024.