Wheat imports will continue: Pawar

NEW DELHI: High prices on the global market or not, stockpiling foodgrain may now be an implicit part of the country’s food policy lexicon. Food minister Sharad Pawar re-asserted here on Monday at the Foundation Day celebrations of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) that India will import wheat on a regular basis, irrespective of high prices, with focus on food security.

“Prices cannot be the issue if feeding the population is priority,” Mr Pawar said. His assertions came despite reports that the farm ministry, which he also heads, has actually upmarked the wheat production estimate from 73.7 million tonne to over 74 million tonne.

The government procured only around 11 million tonne of this, although on an average, it procures around 20% or more of the total of 70 million tonne wheat produced countrywide. That has raised questions over the missing wheat (up to 5 million tonne) and the current upward revision of estimates can only compound that question.

Interestingly, Mr Pawar acknowledges that there is no foodgrain shortage worth the import. “There is no shortage of the food grain but it is a conscious decision of the government to import," he said, emphasising that the imported wheat will be for bolstering buffer stocks to meet any crisis situation that may emerge.

As things stand, the government has more than enough grain to meet its PDS and welfare needs up to November. In addition to procurement of 11 million tonne this year, carryover stocks of 4.6 million tonne from last year will be used to meet these needs, Mr Pawar said.

The assertion on continued imports despite high prices comes in anticipation of an Opposition attack in Parliament over a wheat import scam by the government to the disadvantage of domestic farmers.

Mr Pawar’s decision to defend the decision to resort to continued imports in order to build stockpiles is aimed at signalling that the government is preparing, up to next April, to checkmate all possibility of a repeat spike in inflation on account of high domestic price for essential commodities such as wheat, rice and pulses.