FCI Relaxes Wheat Quality Norms; BBMB Rules Amended

April

2026

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has recommended a relaxation in key quality parameters for wheat procurement allowing up to 20% shrivelled and broken grains, up to 80% lustre loss, and up to 6% damaged grains without any value cut. This comes as a relief to farmers because in March-end and April-start, farmers in Panjab protested since procurement officials refused to buy their grains on account of poor quality, caused by unseasonal rains. In 2026 the government’s wheat procurement is expected to decline by 69% due to late harvest and therefore late arrival of grains in grain markets. FCI and its agencies have procured 1.53 MMT from 1 Apr—a sharp decline from 5 MMT in the same period in 2025. The Minimum Support Price of wheat is USD 27.77 per quintal while grain market prices are at USD 24.71–25.78 per quintal. Additionally to help ease Panjab’s storage crisis, the union government has agreed to operate special trains to lift 15.5 MMT of rice and food grains from the state. Meanwhile, the union government amended the 1974 rules governing the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and opened up top two posts—Irrigation and Power—to officers from across India. This removes the compulsory provision that reserves these posts for officers from Haryana and Panjab, respectively. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Panjab, Indian National Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal slammed the union government, accusing it of trying to dilute the state’s role in the BBMB. AAP leader Baltej Pannu alleged that the move reflects a larger attempt to take control of the state's river waters. Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu sought to allay concerns around the government notification. He said, ‘Only if there is no applicant from Panjab and Haryana will the posts be opened to applicants from other states. There is no way there would be no applicant from these two states.’ Concurrently, bowing to sustained pressure from farmers agitating outside the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority office in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar for three weeks, the Panjab government has decided to enhance benefits and extend major new concessions under its land pooling policy (earlier coverage).