India has raised its import duty on wheat to 40 percent from 30 percent, the government said. Local wheat prices have fallen over 11 percent in 2019 due to ample supply from last year's crop and forecasts of record output.

The step comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party looks to contain rural discontent due to lower crop prices amid voting in a general election that began on April 11 and ends on May 19.

India's wheat production will rise 2 percent in 2019 from the year before to a record 99.12 million tonnes, according to estimates from the country's agriculture department. Indian flour millers imported 1.65 million tonnes of wheat in the 2017/18 fiscal year, down from 5.7 million tonnes the year before. Those shipments were mainly from Australia, Russia and Ukraine.

India has raised its import duty on wheat to 40 percent from 30 percent, the government said. Local wheat prices have fallen over 11 percent in 2019 due to ample supply from last year's crop and forecasts of record output.

The step comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party looks to contain rural discontent due to lower crop prices amid voting in a general election that began on April 11 and ends on May 19.

India's wheat production will rise 2 percent in 2019 from the year before to a record 99.12 million tonnes, according to estimates from the country's agriculture department. Indian flour millers imported 1.65 million tonnes of wheat in the 2017/18 fiscal year, down from 5.7 million tonnes the year before. Those shipments were mainly from Australia, Russia and Ukraine.