The Centre on Thursday decided to procure up to 32 million tonnes (mt) of wheat for the 2018-19 marketing year, which is 1 mt less than the target set for the previous year.
The decision was taken at a meeting of state food secretaries chaired by Union Food Secretary Ravi Kant.
“In consultation with the states, it has been decided to keep an estimate of 32 mt of wheat procurement during the 2018-19 marketing year,” the statement said.
Against the 33 mt of wheat targeted for procurement during 2017-18, the state agencies had in fact procured 30.82 mt.
Out of the total wheat procurement target for 2018-19, Punjab aims to procure the maximum at 11.9 million tonnes, followed by Haryana at 7.4 mt, Madhya Pradesh at 6.7 mt, Uttar Pradesh at 4 mt, Rajasthan at 1.6 mt, Bihar at 2 mt and Uttarakhand at 1 mt.
Although the wheat-marketing year runs from April-March, the bulk of procurement is done in first three months. Food Corporation of India and state agencies undertake purchase at the minimum support price.
For paddy grown in the rabi season, the procurement target has been fixed at 5.5 mt, over and above the estimate of 37.5 mt set for kharif rice this year. As of February 9, the state agencies had procured 28.97 mt of paddy grown during the kharif season. (With DH)
