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Informist, Friday, May 8, 2026

 

By Pallavi Singhal

 

NEW DELHI – Wheat prices were steady in key markets such as Kota, Indore, and Vashi Friday on balanced demand and supply, traders said. Lower arrivals in Rajasthan failed to lift prices as millers continued to make only need-based purchases, they said. Maize prices were largely unchanged despite expectations of stronger ethanol-sector demand in the coming months. Rice prices also remained steady amid sluggish domestic and export demand.

 

Prices of WHEAT in Kota, Rajasthan, were steady at INR 2,350-INR 2,375 per 100 kg, said Ravi Mehta, a local trader. Arrivals fell by 50,000 bags to 10,000 bags (1 bag = 50 kg), he said. "The market is the same as yesterday," he said, adding that most millers and traders are only making need-based purchases, keeping prices steady.

 

"Everyday prices are fluctuating in a narrow range, typically by INR 10-INR 20 per 100 kg, and that is not a significant change," he said. The government's procurement of the staple grain is progressing well, Mehta said. "Procurement will end by May 31, and by then I think the government will have purchased a good amount of stock," he said.

 

The price of wheat in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was steady at INR 2,600 per 100 kg, said Gaurav Kochar, a local trader. The price is unchanged as demand for the grain is on a par with its supply, he said. Arrivals are steady but are expected to decline soon as the peak period is over, he said. However, a rise in prices is unlikely even as arrivals fall because there is ample supply in the market, he added.

 

Kochar expects the government's procurement to speed up in the near term. Procurement of wheat this year was off to a slow start across India due to unseasonal rainfall delaying the harvest and damaging the crop. A shortage of gunny bags also hit the procurement process. Though procurement remains lower on year across many states, Kochar estimates total procurement to cross last year's levels. "Government total wheat procurement can reach up to 30-31 million tonnes this year," he said. "So far approximately 26 million tonnes has been purchased."

 

The price of wheat in Vashi in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, was steady at INR 2,700 per 100 kg, said Devendra Vora, a wholesale trader. Prices are steady amid low market activity, he said. "There is no change in the market, slow movement continues," he said.

 

The price of MAIZE in Indore was steady at INR 2,100 per 100 kg, Kochar said. Demand for the coarse grain is on a par with supply, keeping prices unchanged, he said. Arrivals of the rabi crop are expected to increase in the near term as harvest of the crop in Bihar, one of the country's top maize producers, has begun, he said. Though prices could buckle under arrival pressure in the short term, a steep fall is unlikely as demand from the ethanol sector is expected to rise steadily, he said. The government's push for higher ethanol blending is likely to drive demand for maize, which is among the feedstocks used to produce ethanol. 

 

Prices of maize in Davanagere, Karnataka, were steady at INR 1,800-INR 2,020 per 100 kg, said Shiva Kumar, a local trader. Arrivals were unchanged at 1,000 bags (1 bag = 50 kg), he said. 

 

Prices of RICE varieties were steady in Vashi, Vora said. The price of 1401 basmati rice was steady at INR 9,500-INR 9,600 per 100 kg, while that of the 1121 variety was also unchanged at INR 10,000-INR 10,200 per 100 kg. Prices are unchanged amid low demand and tight supplies of the grain, he said. Prices are expected to remain range-bound in the near term as both domestic and export demand for basmati rice is sluggish, he said.  End

 

With inputs from Shreya Shetty

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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