★ India’s wheat industry has been left unsettled by a series of unexpected developments in recent days.

★ The first shock came from the wheat sowing figures. Just last week, official data showed wheat acreage in the current rabi season at 322.68 lakh hectares, almost unchanged from last year’s 322.5 lakh hectares. However, figures released on Monday suddenly pegged wheat acreage at 334.17 lakh hectares, compared with 328 lakh hectares last year. Such abrupt changes in data are a matter of concern, as the entire industry plans its business strategies based on these official numbers.

★ The second surprise is the possibility of a wheat tender under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) being issued this Friday. Prices had been rising due to strong demand from southern India, but news of the OMSS relaunch led to a sharp decline in prices that were earlier trading on risk.

★ The third concern relates to exports of wheat products, which remain pending despite assurances from several government stakeholders.

★ While the industry understands the importance of protecting consumer interests, it believes that farmers, traders, millers, and other stakeholders—who are also part of the supply chain and consumers themselves—should not be overlooked. Sudden policy and price changes make business planning difficult, and the industry expects greater stability and adherence to commitments.