India weighs resuming wheat product exports after record output estimates

New Delhi: The Union government will consider resuming exports of maida, semolina (suji) and wheat flour (atta) as the country is estimated to see record wheat production of over 115.3 million tonnes this year, said two people aware of the matter.

The proposal may be taken up at an upcoming inter-ministerial meeting that will have representatives from the ministries of commerce, cooperation, consumer affairs and food, agriculture, and food processing, the people said on the condition of anonymity.

The government had restricted the export of maida, suji, and wholemeal atta in August 2022 following a decline in wheat production. These products have a strong consumer base in countries with a large Indian diaspora, including the US, the UK, the Gulf nations, and parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.

Also read: Wheat procurement crosses 18.39 mt, 54% more than last year

“The plan is to strike a balance between domestic availability and tapping into export demand,” said the first of the two persons mentioned above. “With global markets interested in processed food items from India, the government sees an opportunity to boost agriprocessing exports without straining local food security.”

Wheat procurement is on during the rabi marketing season 2025-26 in the major procuring states across the country. Against an estimated target of 31.2 million tonnes, 25.63 million tonnes of wheat were procured in the central pool by 30 April, an increase of 24.78% over a year earlier.

“The government has received proposals from some exporters as well as food processors for lifting the ban (on wheat product exports). We are examining all such submissions,” the second person quoted earlier said. “The matter will be taken up by the inter-ministerial committee, which will assess its impact on domestic supply and the availability of food grains. If everything aligns with our broader planning objectives, the committee will take a final decision accordingly.”

Also read: Strong oilseed crop to keep India edible oil prices stable: AWL Agri Business

To be sure, the ban on wheat exports will continue and there is no discussion on lifting it.

Wheat product prices drop

According to the latest data from the consumer affairs ministry, prices of key wheat-based products have shown a marginal decline over the past month. Maida dropped to ₹41.78 per kg as on 2 May from ₹42.10 a month ago. Similarly, suji eased to ₹46.51 per kg from ₹46.63, while atta prices declined to ₹37.15 per kg compared to ₹37.59 in early April.

“There is a strong demand for Indian wheat products such as suji, maida, flour and bran in Gulf countries, as well as from other destinations like the US, Canada, Australia, Thailand and Malaysia. However, since the ban on these goods is in place, buyers are sourcing similar goods from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan,” a food processor said, who didn’t wish to be identified. There is a potential to export nearly 4–5 million tonnes to these markets, the person said.

Also read: ₹5-7 per kg, offering relief to consumers”>As harvest picks up pace, wheat flour prices fall by ₹5-7 per kg, offering relief to consumers

“The government should take steps to incentivize farmers and work towards doubling their income [and] … ensure procurement of wheat at the MSP (minimum support price),” said Binod Anand, a member of the committee on MSP.

“Promoting exports is one such measure [to boost income]. However, the Centre should not act under pressure from industry lobbies—the decision must ensure that farmers benefit while the general public continues to have access to affordable food supplies,” said Anand.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}