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Informist, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026

By Udita S. Jaiswal

MUMBAI – Prices of wheat, rice, and maize were steady Friday in key spot markets across the country due to lack of fresh cues, traders said. Prices of maize and wheat are expected to remain steady till arrivals of the new rabi crop begin by February, after which, prices will likely start falling, they said.

WHEAT prices in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, were steady at INR 2,820 per 100 kg with no fresh cues, said Gaurav Kochar, a local trader. Kochar expects wheat prices to fall in the near term as new arrivals will start in February. Prices of wheat in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, were steady at INR 3,000 per 100 kg, said Devendra Vora, a wholesale trader.

Traders expect wheat prices to fall as they expect output in this rabi season to surpass the previous year's record high of 117.94 million tonnes because of higher acreage and favourable crop conditions. Weather conditions in most parts of the country have remained favourable for most rabi crops, which thrive in cooler weather. Minimum temperatures across the country have remained normal to below normal so far during the winter season.

Meanwhile, the Food Corp. of India held 27.5 million tonnes of wheat stocks as of Jan. 1, recording a hefty jump of 49% on year, according to FCI data. However, on a monthly basis, the stocks were lower by 7.7%.

Prices of MAIZE in Indore were largely steady at INR 1,780 per 100 kg due to lack of fresh cues, Kochar said. Kochar expects maize prices to fall in the near term as new arrivals will begin shortly. Maize prices in Davanagere, Karnataka, also remained steady at INR 1,700-INR 1,950 per 100 kg, local trader, Shiva Kumar, said. Arrivals in the Karnataka market stood at 1,500 bags (1 bag = 60 kg), he said. 

Prices of the main varieties of RICE were unchanged in Vashi. Prices of the 1401 and 1121 varieties of basmati rice were at INR 8,000-INR 8,200 per 100 kg and INR 8,400-INR 8,800 per 100 kg, respectively, Vora said. "There is demand for basmati rice, and prices will go up as and when demand rises," he said. 

Prices of sona masoori rice, a premium non-basmati variety of rice, were also steady at INR 5,600-INR 5,800 per 100 kg at Bhavanipuram in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, said Ravi Shankar, a trader. "Prices are expected to remain steady for around two months, as there is very little demand in the market," Shankar said.

Rice stocks with Food Corp. of India were 30.9 million tonnes as of Jan. 1, up 6.3% on year but down 0.8% on month, the data showed. The current rice stocks are also above the buffer norm of 7.61 million tonnes, comprising operational stock of 5.6 million tonnes and strategic reserve of 2.0 million tonnes.  End

Edited by Nishant Maher

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