**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries addressed concerns about food availability and rising prices in India. The government has implemented measures such as imposing stock limits on wheat, monitoring prices of essential food commodities, providing free foodgrains to vulnerable populations, and offering crop insurance to farmers. These initiatives aim to stabilize food availability, prevent hoarding and speculation, and protect farmers from losses due to natural calamities.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Wheat Stock Limits:**
* Revised wheat stock limits are in effect until March 31, 2026.
* Traders/Wholesalers: 2000 MT.
* Retailers: 8 MT per retail outlet.
* Big Chain Retailers: Upto 8 MT per retail outlet, capped at 8 multiplied by total number of outlets.
* Processors: 60% of Monthly Installed Capacity (MIC) multiplied by remaining months of FY 2025-26.
* **Price Monitoring:**
* The Department of Consumer Affairs monitors the daily prices of 38 essential food commodities.
* The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) reviews price trends and suggests measures to enhance availability.
* **Foodgrain Accessibility:**
* Free foodgrains are provided to approximately 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) until January 1, 2029.
* Entitlement: 35 kg per month per Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) household and 5 kg per person per month for Priority Households.
* **Crop Insurance:**
* The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) protect farmers from crop loss due to natural calamities.
* **Capacity Building:**
* The PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme provides training for various groups.
* 1,26,353 beneficiaries have been trained under the scheme till 30.10.2025.
* NIFTEM-K and NIFTEM-T facilitate high skilled manpower through educational courses.
* **Technology Adoption:**
* MoFPI extends Grant-in-Aid to educational and research institutions for R&D projects under Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY).
* Financial assistance up to 50% of equipment cost in general areas and 70% in difficult areas.
* Government organizations are eligible for 100% grant-in-aid.
* NIFTEM Kundli and NIFTEM, Thanjavur are engaged in R&D activities.
**Impact Analysis**
**Entities: Traders/Wholesalers, Retailers, Big Chain Retailers, and Processors**
*Impact*
They are now subject to revised wheat stock limits.
*Action Required*
Need to adhere to the revised wheat stock limits and ensure compliance.
**Impact**
They have a key role in providing foodgrain for vulnerable population and protection against crop loss.
*Action Required*
Need to utilize the PMFBY and the RWBCIS schemes launched in 2016 for the protection against crop loss.
**Impact**
They are benefitted with assistance for training through PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme
*Action Required*
Need to participate in training programs to enhance skills and productivity.
**Impact**
They receive financial aid for R&D projects.
*Action Required*
Need to utilize the aid and participate in R&D to improve quality of equipment, storage and products.
**Entities: Consumers**
*Impact*
Ensured food security through price monitoring and stabilized food availability.
*Action Required*
No direct action required.
**Entities: Farmers**
*Impact*
Protected from crop loss through crop insurance schemes.
*Action Required*
Need to enroll in PMFBY or RWBCIS to protect themselves from loss due to unforeseen calamities.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI): Primary ministry responsible for addressing the questions related to food availability and implementing related schemes.
Revised Wheat Stock Limit: The central aspect of the policy discussed, specifying stock limits for traders, retailers and processors.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY): Scheme under which R&D grants are provided in the food processing sector.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): Scheme that provides free food grains to vulnerable sections of society.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): Crop insurance scheme mentioned in the context of protecting food-processing raw materials from climate shocks.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 827
ANSWERED ON 04TH DECEMBER, 2025
MEASURES TO STABLIZE FOOD AVAILABILITY
827. SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B:
Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is implementing immediate measures to stabilize food
availability nationwide in view of persistent supply-chain failures causing price spikes, if so,
the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government would introduce emergency price caps or subsidies to address
rising food prices, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government is protecting food-processing raw materials from climate
shocks such as droughts and floods, if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether there is a national policy to ensure sufficient skilled labour to address critical
labour shortages and an ageing workforce in food processing, if so, the details thereof; and
(e) whether the Government is promoting Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things
(IoT) and blockchain in food processing sector nationwide to enhance efficiency and safety, if
so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons for lagging behind global standards?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
(SHRI RAVNEET SINGH)
(a): As per the information provided by Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry
of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in order to manage the overall food
security and to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, the Government of India
imposed stock limits on wheat applicable to Traders/Wholesalers, Retailers, Big Chain
Retailers and Processors in all States and Union Territories. The Removal of Licensing
Requirements, Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions on Specified Foodstuffs
(Amendment) Order, 2025 was issued on 27 May 2025 and was applicable for all States and
Union Territories.
As part of continuous efforts to moderate prices of wheat, Central Government
has revised the Wheat Stock limit on 26 August 2025 applicable until 31st March 2026 as
under:
Entities Revised Wheat Stock Limit
Trader/ 2000 MT;
Wholesaler
Retailer 8 MT for each Retail outlet
Big Chain upto 8 MT for each retail outlet subject to maximum quantity of (8 multiplied
Retailer by total no. of outlets) MT. This will be the maximum stock that can be held at
all their retail outlets and depots put together
Processor 60% of Monthly Installed Capacity (MIC) multiplied by remaining months of
FY 2025-26(b): Department of Consumer Affairs monitors the daily prices of 38 essential food
commodities submitted by the 555 price monitoring centres that have been set up, with Central
assistance, by the State Governments and UT Administrations across the country. The daily
report of prices and indicative price trends are duly analysed for taking appropriate decisions
such as release of stocks from the buffer, stock disclosure by stockholding entities, imposition
of stock limits, changes in trade policy instruments like rationalisation of import duty, changes
in import quota, restrictions on exports of the commodity etc. Inter-Ministerial Committee
(IMC) reviews and deliberates, on regular basis, the situation of prices and price trends of
essential agri-horticulture commodities and suggests measures to enhance availability through
increased domestic production and through imports.
Further, in order to ensure accessibility and availability of foodgrains for vulnerable
section of the society, the Government decided to provide free foodgrains to about 81.35 crore
beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for a period of next
five years with effect from 1st January, 2024, as per their entitlement (i.e. 35 kg of foodgrains
per month per Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) household and 5 kg of foodgrains per person
per month in case of Priority Household).
(c): The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop
Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) a flagship scheme of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare, launched in 2016 with the objective to protect farmers from crop loss due to
unforeseen natural calamities from pre-sowing to post harvest and to provide adequate financial
support to farmers in the event of loss of crops.
(d): Under the Capacity Building component of the PM Formalization of Micro Food
Processing Enterprises Scheme, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) provides
assistance for training of Trainers, District Resource Persons, Entrepreneurs and various other
groups for Entrepreneurship Development Skilling (EDP+) & product specific skilling to meet
the requirement of food processing industry. So far, 1,26,353 beneficiaries have been trained
across the country under the PMFME scheme till 30.10.2025.
MoFPI through its two autonomous Institutions namely, National Institute of Food
Technology Entrepreneurship & Management, Kundli, Haryana (NIFTEM-K) & National
Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship & Management, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
(NIFTEM-T) also facilitates high skilled manpower, through educational courses like B.Tech,
M.Tech, Ph.D, etc. in food processing sector.
(e): In order to promote use of technology including Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things
and blockchain adoption in Food Processing Sector, MoFPI extends Grant-in-Aid to
educational and research institutions including Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
(CSIR) recognized Research and Development (R&D) units in private sector for related
demand driven R&D projects through its R&D scheme under Pradhan Mantri Kisan
SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY).
Under R&D component of the Scheme, financial assistance as grant-in-aid is
provided to Private organizations/ universities/institutions/R&D laboratories and CSIR
recognized R&D units in private sector to the tune of 50% of equipment cost in general areas
and 70% in difficult areas and to various Universities, IITs, Central/ State Government
Institutions, Government funded organizations to promote and undertake demand driven
R&D work in food processing sector for product & process development, design and
development of equipment, improved storage, shelf-life, packaging etc. R&D projects of
Government organizations/ Institutions are eligible for 100% grant-in-aid for the cost of
equipment, consumables and expenditure related to Research Fellows, etc.
In addition, National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship & Management
(NIFTEM) Kundli and NIFTEM, Thanjavur, under administrative control of MoFPI, are also
engaged in R&D activities in the sector.
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