New Delhi: Procurement of Wheat during RMS 2024-25 is going on smoothly in the major procuring States across the country. 262.48 LMT of wheat has already been procured so far this year in Central Pool surpassing last year’s total procurement of 262.02 LMT.
A total of 22.31 lakh farmers have been benefitted during RMS 2024-25 with total MSP outflow to the tune of Rs. 59,715 crores. Major contribution in the procurement came from five procuring states Viz. Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh with procurement of 124.26 LMT, 71.49 LMT, 47.78 LMT, 9.66 LMT and 9.07 LMT respectively.
The rice procurement is also progressing smoothly. 728.42 LMT paddy equivalent to 489.15 LMT of rice has been so far procured directly from 98.26 Lakh farmers during KMS 2023-24, with total MSP outflow of approx. Rs. 1,60,472 crores. With above quantity of procurement, the combined stock of wheat and rice at present in Central Pool surpassed 600 LMT which puts the country in a comfortable position to meet out its requirements of food grains under PMGKAY and other welfare schemes and for market interventions too.
As per a Hindustan Times report – A longer-than-usual spring that delayed harvests, untimely rains in some states and a smaller crop in Madhya Pradesh, the largest wheat grower, led to a sluggish start to procurement, critical for overall food security of the world’s most populous nation. Procurement refers to purchases of grains by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the Centre’s main grain-handling agency, at federally determined floor prices.
In the report of HT earlier this year a quote read – “Wheat procurement is going on smoothly. Our requirement for all welfare schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, is about 18.4 million tonnes-18.6 million tonnes. Currently, total procurement has reached 19.6 million tonnes. This is a very favourable level of procurement compared to our operational requirement,” FCI chief Ashok KK Meena said. To allow farmers sufficient time to sell to the government, procurement will be open beyond May, he said. “We are on track to meet the wheat procurement estimate,” Meena added.
