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According to a representative of the food and consumer affairs ministry on Saturday, the Union government has enough wheat on hand to satisfy the requirements of the National Food Security Act 2013, other federal food-handout programmes, and the buffer norms, which are a required stockpile that must be maintained and are subject to change throughout the year.
In contrast to the buffer norm of 13.8 million tonnes that will be in effect on January 1, 2023, the government is expected to have a wheat stock of 15.9 million tonnes which is higher than the buffer norm. Due to lower output, the government’s annual wheat purchases for 2022–23 fell to a 15–year low of 18.79 million tonnes this year, down from 44 million tonnes.
“Buffer norms requirements have been envisaged for particular dates of the year — as on 1st of April, 1st of July, 1st of October and 1st of January,” the food ministry said in a release on Saturday.
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“The stock position of wheat and rice under central pool has always remained well above the buffer norms. Around 22.7 million tonnes of wheat and 20.5 million tonnes of rice were available as on 1st of October, 2022 against the respective buffer norms requirements of 20.5 million tonnes of wheat and 10.3 million tonnes of rice as on 1st of October,” the release said.