India’s official wheat procurement near target, up 13% from a year ago
India procured 33.39 million tonnes of wheat by May 21, up 13% year-on-year and nearing the 34.5 million tonne target. Procurement rose sharply in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, while Punjab purchases largely involved relaxed quality norms after unseasonal rains damaged crop quality.
The Indian government’s wheat procurement in the ongoing season has reached 33.39 million tonnes (mt) as on May 21. This is about 1 million tonnes less than the target, up by 13 per cent from 29.64 mt in the corresponding period last year. Last year, the government procured 30 mt of wheat, but with a higher production of 120.21 mt, the target for this year’s purchase has been fixed at 34.5 mt.
According to the latest data, the procurement in Punjab ended at 12.16 mt against 11.92 mt a year ago, up by 2 per cent. The Centre fixed a target to procure 12.2 mt wheat from Punjab in 2026-27, against 11.92 mt bought in the entire 2025-26. Notably, almost the entire quantity in the current year’s purchase in Punjab was under relaxed quality, due to widespread lustre loss in several districts due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms.
M.P. buy up
In Haryana, the Centre has purchased nearly 8.12 mt of wheat, as the procurement ended on May 15, and it is higher than the target of 7.2 mt. In 2025-26, the Centre bought 7.14 mt of wheat from Haryana.
In Madhya Pradesh, the Centre has purchased 9.5 mt against 7.8 mt year-ago, up by 22 per cent. In April last week, the Centre accepted the State’s request and revised the target to 10 mt from the earlier fixed 7.8 mt. Due to a delayed start and a slow pace of purchase, which officials blamed on the non-preparedness of agencies with inadequate gunny bags and purchase centres, the target looked an uphill task. But, with consistent pressure from the opposition and farmer organisations, the government managed to increase the purchase.
The procurement in Madhya Pradesh was lower by 59 per cent until April 30 despite the state being allowed by the Centre to buy the crop from farmers from March 15, against the normal schedule of April 1. Data show that the purchase in the State during May 1-21 was about 9.2 mt, whereas in the corresponding period last year it was only 3.8 mt. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in April raised the issue of lower procurement with State Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
Other States
The purchase in Uttar Pradesh has reached 1.48 mt against 1.02 mt, and in Rajasthan, at 2.03 mt from 1.81 mt year-ago, the data show. In Bihar, the procurement has reached 33,295 tonnes, up by 89 per cent from 17,609 tonnes year-ago. The Centre has also raised the purchase target in Uttar Pradesh from earlier 1 mt to 2.5 mt, in Rajasthan from 2.1 mt to 2.35 mt and in Bihar from 18,000 tonnes to 0.18 mt.
State procuring agencies have been asked to keep wheat procured under the relaxed specifications (URS) category separately stored and accounted. Unseasonal rains in March and April led to higher moisture content in wheat grains, along with issues such as shrinkage and loss of lustre. As a result, a large portion of the crop was falling outside the prescribed quality standards, affecting the procurement process.
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Source : The Hindu Businessline
