The government has taken steps to reduce the prices of flour.

The Center announced the sale of additional 2 million tonnes of wheat in the open market to further reduce the retail prices of wheat and flour.

Along with this, the government asked the flour mills to cut rates with the softening of the wholesale price of food grains.

On January 25, the Center had announced to sell 30 lakh tonnes of wheat from its buffer stock in the open market to control the rise in prices of wheat and wheat flour.

According to a government statement released on Tuesday, the government has decided that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) will bring additional 2 million tonnes of wheat into the open market under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).

This stock will be for sale through e-auction to flour millers/private traders/bulk buyers/manufacturers of wheat products.

Sources said that the proposal to sell the wheat stock in the open market was taken by a group of ministers.

It has been decided to sell 50 lakh tonnes (30+20 lakh tonnes) of wheat under OMSS so far, the statement said.

Decisions like reduction in reserve price along with additional sale of 2 million tonnes of wheat will help bring down the market price of wheat and wheat products for the consumers.

Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra held an online meeting with the representatives of Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Flour Mills / Various Associations / Federations / Semolina Products Manufacturers to review the lifting of stocks in the 2nd round of e-Auction held recently Did.

It has been said in the statement that flour mills have been advised to reduce the prices of flour and other products in line with the reduction in the market price of wheat.

The Food Ministry said that after the announcement of the OMSS policy, the prices of wheat and flour have come down, but the inflation figure in January 2023 remained at a three-month high of 6.52 percent.

According to government data, the average price of wheat was Rs 33.15 per kg in major cities on Monday, while the average price of atta (wheat flour) was Rs 37.63 per kg.

Last month, the government had announced plans to sell 3 million tonnes of wheat in the open market from its buffer stock under OMSS.

Out of 30 lakh tonnes, FCI is selling 25 lakh tonnes of wheat to bulk consumers like flour mills and 2 lakh tonnes of wheat to States/UTs.

To convert wheat into flour, three lakh tonnes of wheat is being made available to institutions and state-public undertakings at a subsidized rate.

About 13 lakh tonnes of wheat has been sold in two rounds of e-auction for bulk consumers.

FCI will sell 11.72 lakh tonnes of wheat during the third e-auction to be held on 22 February.

Last week, the ministry reduced the reserve price of fair and average (FAQ) quality wheat to Rs 2,150 per quintal, while that of quality exempted (URS) wheat to Rs 2,125 per quintal.

These new reserve prices are applicable from the third round of wheat sale through e-auction.

Further, the rate of wheat reduced to Rs 21.50 per kg for selling wheat to NCCF/NAFED/Kendriya Bhandar/State Government Cooperative Societies/Federations as well as community kitchens/charitable institutions/NGOs etc. for making wheat flour And then consumers have been asked to sell at the rate of Rs 27.50 per kg.

To control the price, the Center had banned the export of wheat in May last year.

India's wheat production decreased to 107.74 million tonnes in the crop year 2021-22 (July-June) from 109.59 million tonnes in the previous year.

As compared to last year's purchase of around 43 million tonnes, this year the procurement fell drastically to 19 million tonnes.

In the current crop year 2022-23, the production of wheat is estimated to increase to 11 crore 21.8 lakh tonnes due to more area under cultivation and better yield.

However, the increase in temperature during this month in major producing states has again become a matter of concern for agricultural scientists and policy makers.

The government on Monday constituted a committee to monitor the situation arising out of abnormal rise in temperature and its impact on the wheat crop and issued necessary advisories to the farming community to save the crop.

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