Millers and Processors Show Less Interest in Government Wheat Procurement

05-Feb-2026 11:14 AM

New Delhi: Millers and processors showed less interest in the e-auction held by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) on the previous day to sell wheat from its stocks under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). As a result, only 66 percent of the total quantity of wheat offered could be sold.

According to available data, in the auction held on February 4, 2026, the Food Corporation offered a total of 1.26 lakh tonnes of wheat, of which about 83,000 tonnes were purchased by millers/processors.

Earlier, 73 percent of the wheat was sold in the January 28 auction, 84 percent in the January 21 auction, and 92 percent in the January 14 auction. These figures clearly indicate that the interest of millers/processors in buying government wheat is continuously decreasing because the supply and availability of this food grain in the open market remain easy, and there is not much difference in prices.

In states like Punjab, Haryana, and Assam, almost the entire quantity of wheat offered was purchased during the previous auction, but in this week's auction, the demand there was also weak.

In the auction held on February 4, 95 percent of the total offer was purchased in Punjab, while in Haryana and Assam, it was less than 90 percent. Last week, almost 100 percent of the offered quantity was purchased in these states.

In Punjab, 26,000 tonnes of wheat were offered, of which 24,630 tonnes were sold. The minimum reserve price for government wheat has been fixed at Rs. 2550 per quintal.

The highest price for wheat purchased in Punjab was recorded at Rs. 2700 per quintal. Flour millers and processors in the state are buying government wheat in good quantities. The Food Corporation is likely to have good success in selling its stock there in the future as well.