Centre eyes 10% higher wheat purchase this year

The government expects to procure 42.73 million tonnes (mt) of wheat in the ensuing rabi marketing season starting April 1.

This is about 9.56 per cent more than last year’s procurement of 38.99 mt , an official release said.

The Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, chaired a meeting of State Food Secretaries on Tuesday to discuss the arrangements for procurement of wheat and rabi rice. Also, the Government expects to procure 11.97 mt rabi rice — up 24.43 per cent than last year’s 9.62 mt.

The higher procurement target for wheat and rice comes at a time when doubts are expressed by a certain section of farmers, who are protesting against the farm reforms, over the continuation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism and the public procurement for the public distribution system.

This year, the government expects to procure higher quantity of 13.5 mt wheat from Madhya Pradesh, from where it purchased 12.94 mt last year. Similarly, in Punjab the procurement is expected to be higher at 13 mt (12.71 mt ). From Haryana, wheat procurement is expected to be 8 mt (7.4 mt) and from Uttar Pradesh the quantity to be purchased is pegged at 5.5 mt (3.47 mt).

According to the second advance estimates, wheat production is seen higher at 109.24 million tonnes this year (107.86 mt) on higher area and yields.