The sale of 1 lakh tonnes of wheat under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) is set to begin on December 4, 2024, through a weekly e-auction.

The sale will offer wheat to various states across India, with specific quantities allocated to regions such as Karnataka, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has implemented a new rule requiring millers and processors to demonstrate that they do not have excessive surplus stocks of wheat.

This measure aims to ensure that the wheat goes to those in genuine need, specifically targeting millers without large reserves.

Each bidder will be required to submit an affidavit confirming that they do not hold more wheat than their monthly processing capacity, and that they will not purchase more than what is needed for their processing needs.

This rule has sparked dissatisfaction among some millers, who feel it benefits a few private parties and penalizes others who have already arranged wheat stock or prefer to source wheat from the open market.

In addition to the major states, the FCI has also allocated wheat sales to other regions, with quantities for Uttar Pradesh (14,000 tonnes),

Punjab (12,500 tonnes), West Bengal (7,000 tonnes), Assam (6,500 tonnes), Delhi (5,500 tonnes), Madhya Pradesh (4,000 tonnes), Jharkhand (3,000 tonnes), and Tamil Nadu (3,000 tonnes).

Despite concerns over the new rule, experts in the flour milling sector suggest that the primary issue for millers is not wheat availability but rather the price, and whether they will choose to buy government wheat under the OMSS.