The Hindu Business Line : Wheat procurement starts on subdued note

New Delhi April 12 Procurement of wheat for the 2007-08 rabi marketing season (April-June) has begun on a subdued note, with harvesting and mandi arrivals likely to pick up only from the next week.

According to Food Ministry data, total market arrivals as on April 11 amounted to 9.98 lakh tonnes (lt), much below 15.62 lt during the corresponding previous period.

"The trend will change by next week, when harvesting will really start on a large scale. Unlike the last couple of years, when the bulk of procurement was finished by the third week of April, we will, this time, see an extended marketing season," officials said.

Of the arrivals, Madhya Pradesh (where the crop is harvested comparatively early) accounted for 4.15 lt, followed by Haryana (2.84 lt), Punjab (1.55 lt), Rajasthan (95,372 tonnes) and Uttar Pradesh (39,271 tonnes).

It is apparent that the country is headed for a bumper wheat crop this year, as cumulative arrivals in Madhya Pradesh are more than last year's figure of 2.25 lt. Rajasthan, too, has witnessed higher mandi arrivals this time.

Of the total market arrivals, Food Corporation of India (FCI) and State agencies have procured just 3.92 lt against 11.127 lt purchases made in the comparative previous period.

The bulk of procurement has taken place in Haryana (2.64 lt) and Punjab (1.26 lt).

On the other hand, State agencies have been virtually absent in Madhya Pradesh, where they have purchased just 221 tonnes of the total.

In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, private players are mopping up most of the grain.