Govt tightens stock limits on wheat to check hoarding, price hike

The Centre has revised wheat stock holding limits for traders, wholesalers, big chain retailers, and processors to check its price rise and hoarding. In a statement, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution said, the revised stock limits on wheat for traders and wholesalers will now be 2,000 metric tonnes as against three thousand metric tonnes earlier.
For processors, the limit has been reduced to 60 per cent from the earlier limit of 70 per cent of their monthly installed capacity multiplied by the remaining months of the 2024-25 fiscal. The stock limits have been kept unchanged for individual retailers who continue to stock up to 10 tonnes of wheat. Big chain retailers can store wheat up to 10 metric tonnes in each outlet.  
The Ministry had imposed the stock limits on wheat on the 24th of June this year. The restrictions will remain in force till the 31st of March next year, across all states and Union Territories. The Ministry added that all wheat stocking entities are required to register on the wheat stock limit portal and update the stock position every Friday.Officials of 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. It added that the total production of one thousand 129 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat was recorded during the Rabi season this year and there is ample availability of wheat in the country.