Wheat markets still on the edge a fortnight after govt's export ban

Ram Lal Meena, a prominent wheat farmer in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district, is saddled with almost 500 quintals of good quality grain, a fortnight after the government suddenly banned wheat exports.

He was waiting to sell the wheat at a premium of around Rs 250 per quintal above the state-mandated minimum support price of Rs 2,150 per quintal this year before the ban put paid to his hopes.

The spike in prices seen since March-end prompted Meena to ignore repeated reminders to sell to government-run procurement centres, a decision he now regrets. Since the ban, the open market price of wheat has