India’s wheat procurement for the first time crossed 40 million tonnes (mt) on Friday and is well on its way to meet the target of 427 mt.

The procurement by Food Corporation of India and State procurement agencies till date was 40.045 mt — up 13 per cent from the 35.3 mt procured during the same period last year, an official statement said.

The total procurement in the previous rabi marketing season was 38.992 mt. This year so far, wheat worth ₹79,088.77 crore has been procured benefiting over 42 lakh farmers, the statement said.

Paddy procurement, which commenced during the 2020-21 kharif marketing season, is still going on with 78.02 mt procured till date. Similarly, the government, through its nodal agencies, procured close to 0.7 mt of pulses and oilseeds worth ₹3,890 crore from major States.

Meanwhile, farmers planted summer crops over 80.46 lakh ha, which is 21.1 per cent more than 66.44 lakh ha in the same period last year.

Acreage increase was reported across all crop categories, including pulses (67.48 per cent), oilseeds (11.66 per cent), coarse cereals (4.11 per cent) and rice (15.33 per cent).

The country as a whole received 140.7 millimetres of rainfall as against the normal of 122 mm since March 1 this year.

As per the reservoir bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission, 130 reservoirs across the country have a total water storage of 50.82 billion cubic metres as (BCM) against 59.53 BCM in corresponding week last year.

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