The Centre has increased wheat availability under the Food Corporation of India’s weekly auctions to control rising prices and improve market supplies, with higher allocations for several states.
Highlights
- Government doubles weekly wheat auction quantity to 1.99 lakh tonnes.
- FCI to offer 1.99 lakh tonnes of wheat in the November 4 auction.
- Maximum purchase limit per bidder remains unchanged.
- Punjab’s allocation increased to 44,000 tonnes from 25,000 tonnes.
- Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh receive higher allocations.
- FCI sold 99,316 tonnes of wheat in the previous auction, nearly 98.3% of the quantity offered.
New Delhi, November 1, 2026: The central government has doubled the quantity of wheat offered under the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) weekly auctions to 1.99 lakh tonnes as prices continue to rise amid concerns over dwindling stocks.
The decision aims to improve wheat availability in the domestic market and prevent further increases in prices. However, the government has retained the existing maximum purchase limit for individual bidders.
Wheat Auction Quantity Doubled
According to a communication sent to 22 state-wise tenderers dated October 30-31, FCI will auction 1.99 lakh tonnes of wheat on November 4, compared with 1.01 lakh tonnes offered in the October 28 auction.
The increase comes as wheat prices have risen in recent weeks, prompting the government to release additional stocks into the market.
However, experts believe that the move may have a limited impact on prices because the maximum quantity a single bidder can purchase each week remains unchanged.
Punjab, Haryana and UP Get Higher Allocations
The government has increased wheat allocations across several major states.
Punjab’s allocation has been raised from 25,000 tonnes to 44,000 tonnes, while Haryana’s allocation has increased from 12,000 tonnes to 23,000 tonnes.
Uttar Pradesh will receive 14,000 tonnes, compared with 8,000 tonnes earlier, while Madhya Pradesh’s allocation has been raised from 4,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes.
Other states have also received higher allocations. Assam’s allocation has increased from 6,000 tonnes to 12,000 tonnes, while Delhi and Karnataka will each receive 12,000 tonnes, up from 5,000 tonnes.
Gujarat and Rajasthan will each receive 8,000 tonnes, compared with 4,500 tonnes and 4,000 tonnes, respectively.
Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been allocated 10,200 tonnes, against 4,000 tonnes in the previous auction.
Strong Demand in Previous Auction
Despite restrictions on participating traders, FCI sold 99,316 tonnes of wheat in the previous auction, representing 98.3% of the quantity offered.
The strong offtake indicates continued demand for wheat in the domestic market.
The government hopes that releasing additional wheat through weekly auctions will ease supply pressures and help stabilise prices.
However, the effectiveness of the move will depend on market demand, actual purchases and the availability of wheat stocks in the coming weeks.
