Centre imposes limits on wheat stocks

In order to manage the overall food security and to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, the Government on Monday decided to impose stock limits on wheat applicable to traders/wholesaler, retailers, big chain retailers and processors for all states and Union territories. The removal of licensing requirements, stock limits and movement restrictions on specified foodstuffs (amendment) order, 2024 has been issued with immediate effect from 24 June and will be applicable until 31 March 2025 for all states and UTs.

Stock limits will be applicable to each entity individually such as traders/wholesale who can stock up to 3000 MT, retailer who has a limit of 10 MT for each of the outlets, big chain retailer who can stock upto 10 MT for each outlet and 3000 MT at all their depots and processors who have been given a limit of 70 per cent of monthly installed capacity (MIC) multiplied by remaining months of FY 2024-25.

Respective legal entities, as above, will have to declare the stock position and update them regularly on the portal of the Department of Food and Public Distribution and in case the stock held by them are higher than the prescribed limit then they have to bring the same to the prescribed stock limits within 30 days of issue of this notification.

In another important area of agri security, India is set to host a global event in the sugar sector ‘ISO Council Meeting’ in New Delhi from 25-27 June, 2024 which will be attended by delegates from more than 30 countries and representatives of many international organisations who will be deliberating on critical issues of sugar and biofuel sector. India is the world’s largest consumer and second largest producer of sugar and was nominated by the ISO Council as the Chair of the organisation for 2024.

As part of the meeting, India has started the series of events with industrial tour of the international delegates to one grain-based distillery at Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh on Monday to showcase India’s adoption of latest technology in production of biofuels and other by-products. A workshop is also being organised on 25 June on sugar and biofuels to offer a future perspective of the world on global sugar sector, biofuels, sustainability and role of farmers and strengthen the Global Biofuel Alliance in line with Prime Minister Narender Modi’s efforts to bring together countries to promote development and adoption of sustainable biofuels in the world as an effort to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

International Sugar Organisation (ISO) is a UN affiliated body having HQ at London. ISO has about 85 countries as members covering almost 90% of sugar production in the World. It is mandated to bring major sugar producing, consuming and trading nations together to bring mutual understanding and progressive approach in dealing with issues pertaining to the sugar sector. ISO has also been working on biofuels, especially, ethanol as sugarcane is the second major feedstock for ethanol production in the world.