Wholesale Wheat Market Prices Fall Significantly Below MSP

01-Apr-2026 07:52 PM

New Delhi: The Central Government has fixed the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat for the 2025-26 Rabi season at ₹2,585 per quintal—an increase of ₹160 over the ₹2,425 per quintal rate set for the 2024-25 season.

However, driven by expectations of bumper production and the likelihood of heavy arrivals in the *mandis* (wholesale markets), wholesale market prices have dropped significantly below the support price. According to the government portal, Agmarknet, the average wholesale market price for wheat at the pan-India level was recorded at ₹2,379 per quintal on March 30, 2026.

On March 30, the average wholesale market price for wheat stood at ₹2,295 per quintal in Madhya Pradesh, ₹2,502 in Rajasthan, ₹2,637 in Gujarat, and ₹2,348 per quintal in Uttar Pradesh.

If these price levels persist, farmers may find it necessary to prioritize selling their produce to government agencies. Flour millers, processors, traders, and stockists—along with exporters—are all keeping a close watch on the wheat market.

For the current year, the Central Government has set a national procurement target of 303.36 lakh tonnes of wheat. This target includes 122 lakh tonnes in Punjab, 78 lakh tonnes in Madhya Pradesh, 72 lakh tonnes in Haryana, 21 lakh tonnes in Rajasthan, 10 lakh tonnes in Uttar Pradesh, 18,000 tonnes in Bihar, and 10,000 tonnes in Jammu & Kashmir.

This figure represents an increase of merely 3 lakh tonnes over the actual total procurement of 300.35 lakh tonnes recorded during the 2024-25 season.