The Hindu Business Line : No plans to import more wheat: Pawar

New Delhi, Jan. 18 The Union Government has no immediate plans to import wheat as the buffer stock is satisfactory and the production this season is expected to be near the targeted level, the Union Food and Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, said on Friday.

“By and large we are satisfied with the buffer stock position compared to the norms. So there is no urgency,” he said on the sidelines of a function organised by FICCI here on Friday.

Mr Pawar said the Government was watching the international market closely and pointed out that many countries were facing shortages that had affected international markets, especially the major producers of the grain.

“Whatever wheat is available in the world today is reddish in colour, which faces consumers’ resistance in our country. That is why we are going a little slow on the import,” he added.

India, the second-largest producer of wheat, has been importing the grain for the last two years. The Centre imported 55 lakh tonne of wheat in 2006 and about 18 lakh tonne in 2007 to augment its buffer stock for meeting the requirement of the public distribution system.

Mr Pawar said that India could produce a record crop this year if the weather conditions remain favourable in next two months, and pegged the output at over 75 million tonnes.

“We have reviewed the total sowing operation and general standard of the crop. The feedback from all States, especially from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh is quite encouraging,” he said.

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