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Informist, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025

By J. Navya Sruthi

MUMBAI – Prices of wheat, maize, and rice were steady in key markets across the country Wednesday due to lack of new cues, traders said. They expect wheat prices to rise in the near term due to firm demand ahead of festivals. 

WHEAT prices in Kota, Rajasthan, were largely steady from the previous day at INR 2,600-INR 2,625 per 100 kilograms, said Aniket Mehta, a local trader. Arrivals were also steady from the previous day at 8,000 bags (1 bag = 50 kg), he added. Prices of wheat in Indore were steady at INR 2,880 per 100 kg, said Kochar. Prices of the staple grain in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, were also stable at INR 2,800-INR 2,825 per 100 kg, said Devendra Vora, a wholesale dealer.

Traders expect wheat prices to rise by INR 100 per 100 kg in the near term due to firm demand ahead of festivals and lack of government wheat sales so far. "Wheat prices should be on higher side as supply is low globally this year," Mehta said. Global wheat production in 2025-26 is expected to drop 2.5 million tonnes to 1,069.6 million, primarily on lower production for China, Brazil, and Argentina, according to a monthly report by the US Department of Agriculture. 

Market participants expect the government to begin open-market sales of wheat before Diwali, which is in the second half of October. The government usually starts open-market wheat sales in July or August. For the 2025–26 rabi marketing year, the government has set a reserve price of INR 2,550 per 100 kg for these sales.

MAIZE prices in Indore were steady at INR 2,360 per 100 kg, local trader Gaurav Kochar said. Low arrivals and firm demand from poultry sector is likely to support maize prices, he added. Currently, maize arrivals are low as there is no crop left from the previous season and arrivals of the new kharif crop begin only in October, he said.

Mehta from Kota said there might be some maize crop loss due excess rainfall in key growing areas, which is likely to support prices. However, there will be more clarity about acreage once the final kharif sowing report is out, he added. The overall trend for maize prices is likely to remain sluggish moving forward due to availability of cheaper substitutes such as rice sold by the Food Corp. of India to meet demand from the ethanol sector, Kochar said.

Prices of 1401 basmati RICE in Vashi remained steady at INR 7,300-INR 7,400 per 100 kg, Vora said. Prices of the 1121 basmati rice variety were also stable at INR 7,800-INR 8,000 per 100 kg. Prices of premium non-basmati rice variety, sona masoori, were also steady from the previous day at INR 4,600 per 100 kg in Vijayawada's Bhavanipuram in Andhra Pradesh, said local trader Ravi Shankar.

According to Shankar, prices are expected to remain steady until October with a slight downward bias. Prices may decline once the new crop of rice arrives in the market in October, he said.  End

Edited by Avishek Dutta

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