Government has fixed the maximum limit of wheat storage to restrict hoarding and maintain price stability

The government has fixed the wheat storage limits for retailers, wholesalers, processors, and large-chain retailers. This was done to stabilize prices and to check against hoarding. Single retailers, large chain retailers, processors, and wholesalers will declare the stock of wheat stored with them every Friday, said Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra while addressing a press conference here on Monday.

I want to overcome the shortage of wheat in the country," said Chopra. Presently, according to him, there is a ban on wheat export, and no proposal for the review of the ban on sugar export exists. We want wheat prices to remain stable," he said. Chopra further noted that the stock limit for wholesalers would be 3,000 tonnes, while for processors, it would be 70 percent of the processing capacity. He said that for large chain retailers, this limit would be 10 tonnes per sales center with a total limit of 3,000 tonnes, and for single retailers, this limit would be 10 tonnes. A stock limit was imposed given the media reports about the price rise of wheat and other essential commodities, he said. According to the Municipal Administration Minister and Endowments Minister Koppula Eshwar, a Stock Limit is brought to reduce hoarding. He said, "Opening stock of wheat as of April 1, 2023, was 82 lakh tonnes, and as of April 1, 2024, it was 75 lakh tonnes.". He said last year, 266 lakh tonnes were procured, while this time, the government purchased 262 lakh tonnes, and the purchase is still going on. Therefore, only a deficiency of three lakh tonnes of wheat exists in the opening stock.