Wheat procurement reaches 4-year high
India procured a four-year-high 35.41 million tonnes of wheat during the 2026-27 rabi marketing season, exceeding the 34.6 million tonne target and rising 18% year-on-year. Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh led purchases, while central wheat stocks reached 51.24 million tonnes.
The government’s wheat procurement for 2026-27 rabi marketing season (April-June) has crossed 35 million tonne (MT), highest in the last four years. As agencies wind up the Minimum Support Price (MSP) purchase operations in key producing states, the overall grain purchase so far has been 35.41 MT which exceeds the target of 34.6 MT for the season.
Wheat purchases this season, which officially ends by the end of June, are 18% higher compared to 30 MT purchased in the previous marketing year (2025-26). This against the arrivals of 42.22 MT of grain across mandis in key producing states.
The aim of the government purchase is to bolster stock and ensure supplies under the public distribution system. Previously, a record 43.33 MT of wheat was purchased from farmers during the 2021-22 marketing season.
State-Wise Contributions
Entities such as the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state government agencies paid Rs 88,483 crore as MSP to purchase wheat from 3.54 crore farmers mostly in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Among the major contributors to the central wheat pool so far are Punjab (12.16 MT), Haryana (8.12 MT), Madhya Pradesh (10.43 MT), Rajasthan (2.55 MT), and Uttar Pradesh (1.98 MT).
Robust Buffer Stocks
At present, the FCI has over 51.24 MT of wheat as the central pool stock against a buffer and strategic reserve norm of 27.58 MT for July 1.
Due to unseasonal rains during harvesting time, in April, the Food Ministry relaxed norms for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, approving grain purchase with up to 70% luster loss and increasing the shriveled or broken grain limit to 15% from the existing limit of 6%. This season, agencies purchased 24 MT of wheat under the relaxed specification while 11.44 MT of grain was of fair and average quality.
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Source : Financial Express
