Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters here on Monday that private traders can import wheat at zero per cent duty instead of existing five percent duty. With an eye on increasing domestic supply of wheat, the concession for private traders will be on for next four to five months, he added.

So far, state-owned State Trading Corporation had been importing wheat free of duty.

However, wheat importers feel the government's decision to allow private traders to import duty-free wheat would help cool domestic prices only for a shot term as wheat prices in international market has been rising and now stands at 220 dollars per tonne.

Besides, the decision might have come a little late as most Indian importers have already contracted their deals. Till August-end, private traders have already struck deals for import of estimated 500,000 tonnes of wheat for biscuit, bread, roller mills and other producers.

International wheat prices have shown an upward swing ever since India announced unveiled its import plan for the first time in six years, given the tight supply position and the fact that India is a key player in global wheat market, wheat importers said.