Centre aims 7-fold jump in wheat procurement from UP, Rajasthan, Bihar this year
“UP, Bihar, and Rajasthan have been contributing much less than they could have. We are targeting total wheat procurement of 310 lakh tonne this year. Of which, we are hoping to procure at least 50 lakh tonne from three non-traditional procurement states alone,” he said.
While Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar put together contributed only 6.7 lakh tonnes to the central pool during the 2023-24 marketing year , the Union Food Ministry has decided to procure 16 per cent of the total wheat procurement target of 310 lakh tonne set for 2024-25.
Wheat procurement at minimum support price is normally undertaken by the Centre’s nodal agency Food Corporation of India and state agencies. However, cooperatives Nafed and NCCF have also been roped in with a procurement target of 5 lakh each this year.
Wheat MSP has been fixed at ₹2,275 per quintal for the current year.
Since October, the Centre has been working with these three states to increase the procurement level. Various steps have been taken to address the gaps and it should help boost procurement levels in three states, he said.
Asserting that 2024 general elections is unlikely to affect wheat procurement operations, the Secretary said the increase in wheat procurement from non-traditional states will help restore allocation of wheat under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and other welfare schemes.
The allocation of wheat has been reduced to 184 lakh tonnes annually from the previous 230-240 lakh tonnes under various welfare schemes in view of lower procurement in the last two years, he added.
Chopra also said the Centre has not directed traders to avoid buying wheat from farmers till the government completes procurement.
“No such instruction has been given to traders,” he added.
Highlighting steps taken to strengthen wheat procurement in non-traditional states, the secretary said the procurement window has been advanced/extended to March instead of April 1, set up a dedicated farmer helpline to address procurement-related queries, intensified media publicity of MSP rate, and drying facilities have been provided for early harvested crop.
Besides, the government has advanced farmer registration from January 1 instead of March 1, simplified farmers’ land record verification, including tenant farmers, given flexible procurement targets to agencies.
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