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Informist, Tuesday, Mar. 17, 2026

 

By Shreya Shetty

 

MUMBAI – Prices of maize and wheat showed a mixed trend Tuesday, while prices of rice were unchanged in key spot markets across the country, traders said. Prices of maize rose in some markets amid the continued rise in crude oil prices, traders said. Wheat prices rose in some markets due to rise in demand from stockists and were steady in other markets. Prices of rice were steady, settling down from the downtrend in the initial days of the West Asia war.

 

MAIZE prices in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, rose by INR 35 per 100 kg from Monday to INR 1,850 per 100 kg, said Gaurav Kochar, a local trader. Prices are up due to rise in crude oil prices amid the ongoing military hostilities in West Asia. The ongoing conflict has affected supply of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Maize is a widely sought-after feedstock by ethanol manufacturers, and rising crude oil prices encourage higher biofuel production. "Maize prices are likely to keep rising till there are signs of the war in West Asia ending," Kochar said.

 

Prices of maize in Davangere, Karnataka, remained steady at INR 1,650-INR 1,750 per 100 kg, said Shiva Kumar, a local trader. Arrivals were also steady at 2,000 bags (1 bag = 60 kg), he said. Buyers are mostly waiting for the commencement of new rabi crop arrivals, as they anticipate prices to fall further.

 

Prices of the new WHEAT crop in Kota, Rajasthan, rose by INR 60 from Monday to INR 2,250-INR 2,450 per 100 kg, said Ravi Mehta, a local trader. On the other hand, prices of the old stocks of wheat fell to INR 2,180-INR 2,350 per 100 kg from INR 2,190-INR 2,420 per 100 kg the previous day, he said. Arrivals of the old crop fell by 1,000 bags to 3,000 bags (1 bag = 50 kg), while arrivals of the new crop fell sharply by 75,000 bags to 25,000 bags, Mehta said.

 

Prices of the new wheat crop rose due to rise in demand from a handful of stockists, he said. "Some stockists have become active in the market," he said. With more demand for the new crop, prices of the old stock fell, he said.

 

Prices of wheat in Indore were steady at INR 2,470 per 100 kg, said Kochar. Wheat prices in the Vashi market of Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, were also steady at INR 2,700 per 100 kg, said wholesale trader Devendra Vora. Prices are unchanged amid steady demand, Kochar said. With the new arrivals still having some moisture content, demand has not increased yet, he said. While Kochar expects stockists to become more active in April, he does not see a steep rise in prices, he said. Ample availability this year is likely to discourage many stockists from bulk purchases, he said.

 

India's wheat production is estimated at a record 120.2 million tonnes in 2025-26 (Jul–Jun), according to the agriculture ministry's second advance estimates, compared with 117.9 million tonnes last year.

 

RICE prices in the Vashi wholesale market were unchanged, Vora said. The price of 1401 basmati rice was INR 8,500–INR 8,700 per 100 kg, that of 1121 basmati rice INR 9,400–INR 9,500 per 100 kg, and 1509 basmati rice around INR 8,500 per 100 kg. Prices of basmati rice have settled after a steep downtrend during the initial days of the military conflict in West Asia, he said.  End

 

Edited by Ashish Shirke

 

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