More Stories

Informist, Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

By Shreya Shetty

MUMBAI – Prices of wheat fell on Monday while those of maize and rice were unchanged in key spot markets of the country, traders said. Wheat prices were weighed down by rise in arrivals of the new rabi crop, they said. Prices of maize were steady amid low market activity as traders are waiting for arrival of the new crop to rise. Prices of basmati rice were unchanged as the market is monitoring the ongoing military conflict in West Asia, they said.

WHEAT prices in Kota, Rajasthan, fell INR 100-INR 295 per 10 kg from Friday to INR 2,150-INR 2,180 per 100 kg, said Ravi Mehta, a local trader. Prices of the best quality wheat fell to INR 2,300-INR 2,430 per 100 kg from INR 2,450-INR 2,600 per 100 kg last week, he said. Arrivals of the new rabi wheat crop rose steeply to 200,000 bags (1 bag = 50 kg) from 35,000 bags on Friday, he said.

Prices of wheat were weighed down by the jump in new crop arrivals, Mehta said. Prices are expected to fall further as the peak season of new arrivals has begun, with 100,000-200,000 bags expected to arrive in the market every day this week, he said. "The only way arrivals can reduce in the market right now is if prices fall further, which could prompt farmers to sell their stocks to the government instead," he said. The government is procuring the grain at the minimum support price of INR 2,585 per 100 kg, with a bonus of INR 150 per 100 kg in Rajasthan and INR 40 per 100 kg in Madhya Pradesh, over and above the minimum support price.

If prices fall further, around 70% of the wheat output in Rajasthan could be sold to the government, which could prevent a steep drop in prices, Mehta said. However, strong support from such a decline in arrivals is unlikely as traders and stockists still have plenty of carry-over stocks, he said.

Prices of wheat in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, fell by INR 10 per 100 kg from Wednesday to INR 2,460 per 100 kg, said Gaurav Kochar, a local trader. The market was shut from Thursday to Sunday for local festivals. Prices fell Monday due to rise in arrivals of the new wheat crop, he said.

MAIZE prices in Indore were unchanged at INR 1,850 per 100 kg, Kochar said. Traders are waiting for arrivals of the new rabi crop to increase and prices to fall, he 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 steady at 2,000 bags (1 bag = 60 kg), he said.

Prices of RICE and wheat in the Vashi market in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, were unavailable as the market was shut, said Devendra Vora, a wholesale trader. 

Prices of basmati rice in Kota were steady at INR 7,600 per 100 kg, Mehta said. Traders are monitoring the hostilities in West Asia, which is a key destination for Indian basmati rice exports, he said. The Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway for most of the trade coming from and going to West Asian countries, is almost completely blocked off for vessels, bringing Indian exports of the grain to a standstill.  End

Edited by Ashish Shirke

For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.

Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd. by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt. Ltd.

Informist Media Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com

© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved.