"No Negative Impact of Wheat Export Ban on Farmers' Income," Narendra Singh Tomar

There is no wheat crisis in the country, and the export ban has had no negative impact on farmers' income, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar told Parliament. Even after the export ban, domestic wheat prices are ruling above the Minimum Support Price (MSP), he said.

Tomar stated in his written reply to a Rajya Sabha question that the country's wheat production is expected to be 106.41 million tonnes in 2021-22, according to the government's third advance estimate.

The government's third wheat estimate is slightly lower than the previous year, but it is higher than the average annual wheat production of 103.89 million tonnes achieved over the last five years since 2016-17, according to the minister.

Wheat production in the country was 109.59 million tonnes in 2020-21. "There is no wheat crisis in the country," the minister says, "because India produces wheat in excess of its domestic requirement."

The minister stated that the government has prohibited the export of wheat in order to manage the country's overall food security and to support the needs of neighbouring and vulnerable countries.

However, exports will be permitted if the central government grants permission to other countries to meet their food security needs and if their governments request it, he added.

When asked if the export ban has affected wheat growers' income, Tomar stated, "There is no adverse impact on wheat growing farmers' income because, despite the ban on wheat export, farmers are getting good remunerative prices.” In fiscal 2021-22, the country exported a record 7 million tonnes of wheat.