NEW DELHI: Govt on Thursday further tightened wheat stock holding norms for wholesalers, small and big chain retailers, and processors to prevent hoarding and check price rise. The stock limit for traders and wholesalers was reduced by 75%, from 1,000 tonnes to only 250 tonnes.
The fresh stock limit norm will be applicable until March 2025 when rabi crops arrive at mandis. The food and consumer affairs ministry imposed the new norms around two months after it had reduced the stock limit.
As per the revised limit, now retails can keep 4 tonnes of wheat at any given time against the earlier norm of 5 tonnes. In the case of big chain retailers, they can keep 4 tonnes for each outlet subject to maximum quantity of (4 multiplied by total number of outlets) tonnes stock at all their outlets and depots put together. There is no change in the limit for processors, who can keep 50% of monthly installed capacity multiplied by remaining months till April 2025.
In an official statement, the ministry said the govt is keeping a close watch on the wheat prices and takes suitable interventions to ensure price stability for the consumers. With total production of 1,132 lakh tonnes of wheat during Rabi 2024, there is ample availability of the foodgrain in the country.
The ministry had first imposed stock limits on June 24, 2024 and revised this on Sept 9 and then on Dec 11.