India to import 1.5 to 2 million more wheat: Pawar

New Delhi, Mar 29 (UNI) India is planning to import 1.5 to 2 million tonnes of wheat in addition to the half a million tonne already being imported from Australia and tenders for that are likely to be floated in a week or so, Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar told the media here today.

"We want to build a sizeable buffer stock by importing more wheat," Mr Pawar said on the sidelines of the State food secretaries meeting here.

Already, 500,000 tonnes (a half million) wheat imports has been contracted from Australian Wheat Board at the rate of 179 US dollars a tonne. The first shipment for the southern states, is likely to land in the country in the first week of April.

The government went in for imports to bring down the domestic wheat prices which crossed Rs 1,050 a quintal in Novmeber-December last year. Now the domestic wheat prices are ruling around Rs 850 a quintal.

According to official reports, the retailing cost of imported wheat would be around Rs 10,000 per tonne.

On the other hand, domestic wheat harvest have already begun hitting mandis in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and other north-western areas and is being procured by the state government agencies at Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 650 a quintal or Rs 6,500 a tonne.

However, wheat arrivals from surplus states of Punjab, Haryana and West Uttar Pradesh will begin in first week of April when imported wheat, too, will begin landing in the country.

The farmers are agitating since the government had gone for shopping wheat abroad alleging that they were being given much less rates for their produce than what was being contracted for the imported stocks.

India expects a production of 73 million tonnes of wheat from the current crop and a procurement of around 16 million tonnes for the central pool.

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