The Indian government on Tuesday revised the stock limit on wheat, lowering the maximum quantity retailers, wholesalers, traders, stockists and processors can hold at any point in time. Prescribing specific quantities for each category, the Food Ministry asked them to dispose of any additional quantity in their possession above the prescribed limit within the next 15 days.
According to the revised norms, a retailer can hold a maximum of 8 tonnes at his/her outlet, down from 10 tonnes earlier. Big chain retailer, too, is allowed to hold a maximum of 8 tonnes (10 tonnes earlier) at each of its outlets. For instance, the big chain retailer having five outlets can keep maximum 40 tonnes including at its depot.
The stock limit for traders/wholesalers has been revised to 2,000 tonnes from 3,000 tonnes earlier. Similarly, processors have been allowed to maintain 60 per cent of their monthly installed capacity multiplied by the remaining months till March 31, 2026. For instance, a flour miller with 2,000 tonnes monthly capacity will keep a maximum of 8,400 tonnes during September-March of FY26. It will be 7,200 tonnes during October-March period.
Govt objective
The revision has come after the stock limit was imposed in the last week of May, and despite a comfortable procurement of 30.04 million tonnes (mt) for the Central Pool stock out of 117.51 mt of record production in 2024-25 crop year (July-June).
Last year, the wheat stock limit was imposed, and it was valid till March 31. The government, from time to time, tightens the limit so that more and more wheat comes into the market.
“As part of continuous efforts to moderate prices of wheat before the upcoming festive season, Central Government has decided to revise the wheat stock limit applicable until March 31, 2026,” the Food Ministry said in a statement. The move will help the government better manage the overall food security and prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, officials said.
Officials of the Central and State governments will be closely monitoring enforcement of these stock limits to ensure that no artificial scarcity of wheat is created in the country. 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.
Negligible price hike
All wheat stocking entities are also required to declare/update the stock position every Friday on the wheat stock portal, the Ministry said. 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 Section 6 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, it warned.
Consumer Affairs Ministry data show that the all-India average retail price of wheat was ₹31.51/kg and that of atta (wheat flour) was ₹36.81/kg on August 25, a tad lower than a week ago. But current prices are 0.2 and 0.4 per cent (wheat and atta, respectively) higher from a month earlier, 2.3 per cent and 3.2 per cent up from a year earlier, and 5.2 per cent and 4.5 per cent up from two years back.
The increase in retail prices is very negligible when compared with the hike in the minimum support price (MSP), effected by the government. The wheat MSP was to ₹2,425/quintal in 2024-25 — up 14 per cent from ₹2,125/quintal in 2022-23.
Published on August 26, 2025
