State government to procure wheat at MSP

Procurement at MSP of Rs 1,120 per quintal to start from March 15.

With a view to helping wheat growing farmers in the state, Gujarat government has decided to procure wheat at minimum support price (MSP) from March 15, 2011. The minister for civil supplies in Gujarat, Narottam Patel, today informed that in the interest of the farmers of the state, the government would purchase the wheat at the MSP of Rs 1120 per quintal.

He mentioned that the step was taken to safeguard the interests of the farmers in case of the market prices going below the MSP levels. The move is believed to provide the wheat growing farmers a remunerative price for their produces. The MSP is applicable to the quality of wheat as per the under the uniform specification set by the state civil supplies department.

The arrivals of wheat have started hitting mandis in Gujarat. The industry experts see healthy crop this year with good quality despite the erratic weather conditions.

The open market sale scheme of wheat by the Food Corporation of India is also keeping the prices under pressure.

In a notification issued today, the ministry informed that the wheat procurement under the MSP will start taking place from 188 warehouses of the Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (GSCS), state appointed Agricultural Product Marketing Committees (APMCs) and 17 base depot of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from March 15, 2011 onwards.

The farmers were asked to approach the concerned civil supplies offices in the district collectorate, district offices of GSCS and offices of the Food Corporation of India for the marketing purpose.The wheat harvesting has already started in the key growing regions including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The supplies have started pouring in the markets but it is believed to pick up in around a fortnight.

The snowfall and rains in the northern parts of the country is expected to improve production in the current season.

The overall wheat production in the country is estimated at 81.47 million tonnes in 2010-11, about 1-2 million tonnes more than 80.8 million tonnes registered in the previous year.