India has raised import duty on Wheat to 30% from 20% earlier, according to a customs notice posted on the Central Board of Excise and Customs' website.
The moves comes on the back of a record domestic Wheat production forecast of 98.61 million tonnes for the 2017-18 marketing year, up 100,000 tonnes from the year before, in the government's latest estimate released May 16.
The world's second-largest Wheat producer had already raised the import duty to 20% from 10% in November 2017 on expectations of higher local output.
Sources said the primary reason for the latest hike was to support local farmers by stemming the import of cheaper Wheat.
Sowing for the current Wheat season began in October-November 2017. Government agencies began procurement at a minimum support price or MSP of Rupees 17,350 per tonne ($267/mt) in April, which was raised from Rupees 16,250/tonne last year.
That procurement has already exceeded the government's target of 32 million tonnes, according to local media reports.
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