As market arrivals increase, Government agencies such as the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have stepped up the procurement of wheat. Total purchases of the cereal, so far in the 2018-19 marketing season, have exceeded 27 million tonnes (mt), about 12.5 per cent higher than in the corresponding period last year, according to the Union Food Ministry.
The Centre is targeting a procurement of 32 mt in the current year, higher than last year’s 30.82 mt.
Procurement in Haryana stood at 7.99 mt exceeding the targeted 7.4 mt and higher than last year’s level of 7.43 mt. Similarly, in neighbouring Punjab, the agencies have already procured 11.5 mt. Last year, wheat procurement in Punjab stood at 11.7 mt.
Unfazed by rains
Trade sources said that going by the current market arrivals and the procurement trend, the recent untimely rains across North Indian States do not seem to have had any impact on the wheat output.
As per the latest estimates, the Agriculture Ministry expects wheat output to be around 97.11 mt — marginally lower than last year’s 98.51 mt.
Buying in UP
Procurement in Uttar Pradesh, the largest wheat producing State in the country, has more than doubled in the current season. So far, the wheat purchases in UP stood at 1.72 mt as against last year’s 0.75 mt. Higher procurement has been reported both from the western and eastern parts of the State.
In western UP, the procurement, so far, has doubled to 0.9 mt (0.45 mt), while in eastern UP the purchases stood at 0.72 mt (0.29 mt).
In Madhya Pradesh, the procurement is trailing last year’s levels, mainly on account of lower market arrivals. Procurement so far stood at 4.78 mt as against last year’s 4.96 mt.
In Rajasthan, the purchases have been higher at 0.94 mt (0.69 mt).