Centre imposes wheat stock limits on traders/wholesalers

In order to manage the overall food security and prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, the government has imposed stock limits on wheat applicable to traders/wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers, and processors in all states and Union Territories.

”The Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions on Specified Foodstuffs (Amendment) Order, 2025 is issued on 27 May 2025 and is applicable until 31st March 2026 for all States and Union Territories,” a statement from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said on Thursday.

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The wheat stock limits are:

–traders/wholesalers: 3000 MT;

–retailers: 10 MT for each retail outlet’

–big chain retailers: up to 10 MT for each retail outlet, subject to a maximum quantity of (ten multiplied by the total no. of outlets) MT. This will be the maximum stock that can be held at all their retail outlets and depots put together.

–processors: 70% of Monthly Installed Capacity (MIC) multiplied by remaining months of FY 2025-26.

All wheat stocking entities are required to declare/update the stock position every Friday on the wheat stock portal (https://evegoils.nic.in/wsp/login which will be migrated in due course of time to https://foodstock.dfpd.gov.in.

Any entity that is found not to have registered on the portal or violates the stock limits will be subject to suitable punitive action under Sections 6 & 7 of the Essential Commodities Act,1955, the statement said.

In case the stocks held by the above entities are higher than the above prescribed limit, they shall have to bring the same to the prescribed stock limits within 15 days of the issue of the notification. Officials of the Central and state governments will be closely monitoring the enforcement of these stock limits to ensure that no artificial scarcity of wheat is created in the country.

The Central government has procured 298.17 LMT wheat (up to 27.05.2025) through state agencies/FCI, which is sufficient to meet the requirements of PDS, OWS, and other market intervention schemes.