No wheat imports likely this year

The government is unlikely to import more wheat in this financial year.

A senior food ministry official said the government had so far finalised the import of 55 lakh tonnes of wheat through the State Trading Corporation. Of this, around 12 lakh tonnes has landed.

"With imported wheat, the central pool will conform to the buffer stock norm of 40 lakh tonnes in April next year, when we start procurement. We may not import more wheat for the public distribution system," he said.

As against the buffer stock norm of 40 lakh tonnes, the wheat stock had touched 20.09 lakh tonnes on April 1 this year. The government agencies managed to procure only 92 lakh tonnes, a fall of over 38 per cent from last year's 147 lakh tonnes.

The government will be able to procure more wheat if the central pool has a comfortable buffer when the Food Corporation of India (FCI) starts procurement next year.

The government has also authorised private traders to import 33 lakh tonnes of wheat.

The FCI's current rice stock stands at 76 lakh tonnes while the wheat stock stands at 67 lakh tonnes. The stock of wheat is expected to go up during the month by 10 lakh tonnes as 2-3 lakh tonnes is in transit and the remaining is held up at various ports.