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Informist, Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

 

By Shreya Shetty

 

MUMBAI – Prices of most grains were steady across key spot markets Thursday, even as wheat fell in Rajasthan's Kota due to ample availability, traders said. Prices of maize and rice remained unchanged amid tepid market activity, they said.

 

WHEAT prices in Kota fell by INR 20-INR 30 per 100 kilograms to INR 2,325-INR 2,370 per 100 kg, said Ravi Mehta, a local trader. Arrivals were steady at 120,000 bags (1 bag = 50 kg), he said. Prices are weighed down by the ample availability of the staple grain, he said. "Traders are buying only as much as they can sell, as they don't want to stock up on it because there is supply everywhere," he said. Many large buyers, such as companies and stockists, have good carry-over stocks from last year, and stocks with the government are also plentiful, he said. This has affected the market sentiment, which is weighing on prices, he said.

 

However, wheat prices in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, were steady at INR 2,450 per 100 kg, said Gaurav Kochar, a local trader. Though arrivals of the new rabi crop have increased in the market, demand has kept pace with the rise, he said. Prices are expected to remain steady until the end of May, he said. While demand is unlikely to rise in the near term and ample availability could weigh down on prices, the government's procurement of the grain is expected to keep prices supported, he said. 

 

The government's procurement is off to a slow start in many key-producing states, Kochar said. Damage to the grain and a delay in harvest due to unseasonal rainfall and a shortage of gunny bags delayed the start of the procurement in March, he said. However, it is likely to pick up pace in May, supporting prices, he said. Once procurement ends, arrivals in the market are expected to increase, which could bring prices down, he said.

 

Prices of wheat in Vashi in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, were also steady at INR 2,600 per 100 kg, said Devendra Vora, a local trader.

 

Prices of MAIZE in Indore were steady at INR 1,900 per 100 kg, Kochar said. Prices were unchanged amid limited demand for the coarse grain, he said. Demand for maize is typically low during summer due to lower demand for livestock feed, he said. Maize is primarily used in poultry feed, he said. The rise in temperatures typically causes heat stress in livestock, and their feed intake decreases, he said.

 

Prices of maize in Davangere, Karnataka, were steady at INR 1,750-INR 1,850 per 100 kg, said Shiva Kumar, a local trader. Arrivals were steady at 1,000 bags (1 bag = 50 kg), he said. 

 

Prices of RICE varieties also remained steady in Vashi, Vora said. Prices of 1401 basmati rice were unchanged at INR 9,700-INR 9,800 per 100 kg, and of 1121 basmati rice at INR 10,000-INR 10,200 per 100 kg, he said. The price of 1509 basmati rice was steady at INR 8,500 per 100 kg, he said.

 

Prices are steady amid low market activity, Vora said. "There is not much demand. Everybody is just holding their stocks waiting for demand," he said. The market is monitoring ongoing developments in West Asia, as a stable ceasefire between the US and Iran could lead to the resumption of basmati exports from India, he said. Countries in West Asia are the top destinations for basmati exports, and demand from these countries is expected to surge once a ceasefire is in place, he said.  End

 

Edited by Saji George Titus

 

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