New Delhi: Neither there is a wheat crisis in the country, nor an adverse impact of export ban of the commodity on farmers' income, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed Parliament on Friday. Domestic wheat prices are ruling above Minimum Support Price (MSP) even after the export ban, he said.
Tomar, in his written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, said the country's wheat production is pegged at 106.41 million tonnes in 2021-22 according to the government's third advance estimate. The government's third wheat estimate is slightly lower than previous year, but the minister said it is above the average annual wheat production of 103.89 million tonnes achieved during the last five years since 2016-17.
In 2020-21, the country's wheat production stood at 109.59 million tonnes. According to the minister, "There is no wheat crisis in the country, as India produces wheat more than its domestic requirement." In order to manage the overall food security of the country and to support the needs of the neighbouring and vulnerable countries, the minister said the government prohibited export of wheat (on May 13).
However, exports will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the cental government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their governments, he added. Asked if export ban has affected income of wheat growers, Tomar said: "There are no adverse impact on income of wheat growing farmers because despite ban on wheat export, farmers are getting good remunerative prices." The country had exported a record 7 million tonnes of wheat in the fiscal 2021-22.
Meanwhile in a separate written reply to Rajya Sabha, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal said the central pool stock of wheat as on July 1, 2022 is well above the foodgrains stocking norms. "As on July 1, 2022, Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state government agencies have 285.10 lakh tonnes of wheat stock under central pool against the stocking norm of 275.80 lakh tonnes," he said.
Also read: Government's wheat procurement down from 444 lakh tonnes last year to 184.58 lakh tonnes this year
In the current 2022-23 marketing year, Goyal said the procurement of wheat has been about 188 lakh tonnes. "...it is expected that even after meeting out the requirement of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (up to September 2022) and Public Distribution System, the projected wheat stock as on April 1, 2023 would be 134 lakh tonnes against the stocking norm of 74.6 lakh tonnes," the minister said.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), 5 kilograms free of cost foodgrains per person is distributed to around 80 crore people covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). This is over and above regular distribution of subsidised NFSA foodgrains (i.e. 35 kg per Antyodaya Anna Yojana family per month and 5 kg per month for priority household beneficiary).
The scheme, which was introduced first in April 2020, has been extended till September this year. Goyal pointed out that wheat production estimate was revised to lower side due to early summer this year. Also, there was a rise in global prices of wheat due to various geo-political reasons, he added.
"The government is committed to providing for the food security requirements of India first and also support the neighbouring and other vulnerable developing countries which are adversely affected by the sudden changes in the global market for wheat and are unable to access adequate wheat supplies," Goyal said.
Therefore, he said, the central government amended the export policy of wheat from free to prohibited. "As per the available stock and further projections up to April 2023, the country has enough stock of foodgrains to cater to the requiremnet of PDS and other welfare scheme and to meet out any other eventuality," Goyal asserted.
On May 13, the government suspended wheat export with immediate effect. It moved the export of all varieties of wheat, including high-protein durum, from 'free' to the 'prohibited' category. The decision was aimed at controlling the rising prices of wheat in the domestic market. India had exported a record 7 million tonnes of wheat during 2021-22 fiscal. (With Agency inputs)
