India won’t relax norms for wheat imports: CoS

However, the Indian Government remained firm in its position demanding the US wheat to meet the Indian sanitary and phyto-sanitary norms, which limits the presence of unwanted weed seeds to be less than 100 grains in 200 kg of wheat, while the corresponding figure for the number of undesired weed seeds present in US wheat stands in excess of 10,000 per 200 kg.

India’s decision not to relax the norms come despite the fact that global wheat suppliers are quoting much higher prices as compared to an earlier tender, which was scrapped by the Government. The global wheat suppliers participating in the fresh Government tender for importing 1 million tonne of wheat has quoted prices above $318 per tonne, $55 per tonne higher than what was negotiated during the previous tender. India is planning to import about 5 million tonnes of wheat.

The US trade authorities have been arguing that India ends up paying higher prices for its wheat import because of its stringent quality norms that prevent the US from participating in wheat tenders. Citing its wheat export to 100 other countries across the world, the US representatives have been trying to persuade the Indian Government to relax the quality norms.

India justifies its strict norm on the basis that, unlike other counties in Europe and Africa, where the US wheat goes directly to the mills, in India the grains are distributed to the poor through the public distribution system. India fears the weed grains may find their way into the fields and spread undesired weeds.