No wheat crisis in country, domestic prices above MSP: Agriculture Minister

Neither there is a wheat crisis in the country, nor an adverse impact of export ban of the commodity on farmers' income, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed Parliament on Friday.

Domestic wheat prices are ruling above Minimum Support Price (MSP) even after the export ban, he said.

Tomar, in his written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, said the country's wheat production is pegged at 106.41 million tonnes in 2021-22 according to the government's third advance estimate.

The government's third wheat estimate is slightly lower than previous year, but the minister said it is above the average annual wheat production of 103.89 million tonnes achieved during the last five years since 2016-17.

In 2020-21, the country's wheat production stood at 109.59 million tonnes.

According to the minister, "There is no wheat crisis in the country, as India produces wheat more than its domestic requirement."

In order to manage the overall food security of the country and to support the needs of the neighbouring and vulnerable countries, the minister said the government prohibited export of wheat (on May 13).

However, exports will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the cental government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their governments, he added.

Asked if export ban has affected income of wheat growers, Tomar said: "There are no adverse impact on income of wheat growing farmers because despite ban on wheat export, farmers are getting good remunerative prices."

The country had exported a record 7 million tonnes of wheat in the fiscal 2021-22.