Accordingly a report indicates that the country’s millers, who produce wheat flour like atta, maida and sooji, are facing a severe shortage of wheat and operating on thin supplies. They have now sought urgent government intervention to tackle the supply crisis.One of the reasons behind the wheat shortage is the lockdown across 548 districts, resulting in the closure of mandis and wholesale markets, sources quoted in the report said. They also said unseasonal rains have led to a delay in procurement of wheat.
According to the report, the Roller Flour Millers Federation of india has written to the Food corporate of india detailing the present scenario. It requested FCI to give all general managers at all regional offices the authority to sell Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS (D)) wheat directly to flour mills in the crisis situation. This in addition to the third-party tender action through Mjuntion, added Roller Flour Federation’s statement.
Moreover the federation has also asked for an extension of time period for deposit of payment against wheat purchased under OMSS (D) scheme to two weeks. It has also asked for a reduction in the minimum reserve price for wheat sold as part of the OMSS (D) scheme. With logistics becoming an issue due to the country-wide lockdown, the federation also sought clarity from the government on the transport of goods across borders, states and Union territories in the country.
