Centre imposes wheat stock limits on traders to keep prices in check

New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) The Centre has imposed stock limits on wheat applicable to wholesale traders and retailers across the country to prevent hoarding and speculation that drives up inflation.

"In order to manage the overall food security and to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, the Government of India has imposed stock limits on wheat applicable to wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers, and processors in all states and Union Territories,” the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said on Thursday.

The Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock Limits, and Movement Restrictions on Specified Foodstuffs (Amendment) Order, 2025, dated May 27, is applicable until March 31, 2026, for all states and Union Territories, a ministry statement said.

For wholesale traders, the limit of wheat stock is 3,000 metric tonnes (MT) and for retail traders, the stock limit has been fixed at 10 MT.

For bid chain retailers, the stock limit is up to 10 MT for each retail outlet, subject to a maximum quantity of (10 multiplied by the total no. of outlets) MT. This will be the maximum stock that can be held at all their retail outlets and depots put together.

In the case of processors, the stock limit for wheat has been fixed at 70 per cent of the monthly installed capacity multiplied by the remaining months of FY 2025-26.

All wheat stocking entities are required to declare updates of the stock position on every Friday on wheat stock portal (https://evegoils.nic.in/wsp/login which will be migrated in due course of time to https://foodstock.dfpd.gov.in). Any entity which is found not to have registered on the portal or violates the stock limits will be subject to suitable punitive action under Sections 6 & 7 of the Essential Commodities Act,1955, the order states.

In case the stocks held by these entities are higher than the prescribed limit, they will have to bring these to the prescribed stock limits within 15 days of the issue of the notification. Officials of the Central and state governments will be closely monitoring the enforcement of these stock limits to ensure that no artificial scarcity of wheat is created in the country, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Central government has procured 298.17 lakh metric tonnes LMT wheat, as on May 27, through state agencies/FCI, which is sufficient to meet requirements of the public distribution system and other market intervention schemes.

The Department of Food and Public Distribution is maintaining a close watch over the stock position of wheat to control prices and ensure easy availability in the country, the statement added.

--IANS

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