Paddy Prices Soar in India, Wheat Prices Lag Behind
The wholesale prices of India's key cereals, paddy and wheat, have shown different trends in recent data from Agmarknet. Paddy prices have continued to rise significantly compared to last year, while wheat prices have remained below their August 2025 level. According to the latest mandi price data, the average wholesale price of paddy stood at Rs 2,682.58 per quintal as on August 18, 2026.
This is a marginal decline of 0.58 per cent from the previous week's price of Rs 2,698.43 per quintal. Compared to a month ago, when paddy was priced at Rs 2,684.60 per quintal, the current price is almost unchanged, slipping by just 0.07 per cent.
However, in year-on-year comparison, paddy prices were 22.14 per cent higher than the Rs 2,196.15 per quintal recorded on August 18, 2025. The current price was also 29.63 per cent above the Rs 2,069.40 per quintal level seen two years ago and 22.26 per cent higher than the Rs 2,194.03 per quintal recorded three years ago.
Wheat prices, on the other hand, showed a marginal decline of 0.28 per cent from the previous week's price of Rs 2,588.75 per quintal. Despite this decline, wheat prices were still 2.4 per cent lower than the Rs 2,645.01 per quintal recorded on August 18, 2025.