New Delhi: Private flour millers from south India are importing wheat for the first time in a decade and have contracted for 5 lakh tonnes from Australia, of which 60,000 tonnes has already reached Indian ports, traders said.
Despite surplus domestic stocks, imports are happening because of the damage to quality of wheat crop due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm early this year.
The millers are keen to place another import order for 5,00,000 tonnes of wheat from France and Russia but stringent plant quarantine norms could pose some hurdles.
"Flour millers of south India have contracted 5,00,000 tonnes of high quality wheat from Australia at a price range of Rs 1,800-1,900 per quintal. We have not imported in last ten years as we never faced quality issues," Roller Flour Millers' Federation of India Ex-President M K Datta Raj told PTI.
First two vessels comprising 30,000 tonnes each have reached Cochin and Tuticorin ports, he added.
"We require high protein wheat to meet the demand of local bakery industry and other quick-service restaurants. Since there is a shortage of quality wheat in the country, we are importing from other countries," Raj said.
The bakery items and maida that is required in South India is different from what is consumed in north India. "Our consumers require little high protein wheat. We will blend imported wheat with Indian wheat," he added.
Asked if more quantity would be imported, Raj said, "We are planning to contract another 5,00,000 tonnes from Russia and France. It will all depend if we get quality clearance for import as India's plant quarantine norms are very tough."
High quality wheat is grown in states especially Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The crop quality here got damaged due to unseasonal rains.
India's production is estimate to have declined to 90.78 million tonnes in 2014-15, as against the record production of 95.85 million tonnes achieved during 2013-14.
