Government pegs wheat procurement at 16.2 mt

The government expects to procure about 16.2 million tonne of wheat in the ensuing rabi marketing season beginning on April 1.

This is about 1.5 million tonne higher than last year's total wheat procurement of 14.7 million tonne.

These estimates were worked out at the meeting of the food secretaries of wheat-producing states convened here today by Union food secretary R N Das. The meeting also took stock of other issues related to grain procurement.

The preliminary estimates indicate that Punjab will contribute the maximum wheat, about 8.5 million tonne, to the central grain pool. The procurement in Haryana is projected at 4.2 million tonne and in Uttar Pradesh at 2.5 million tonne.

Some grain is also anticipated to be procured by the public sector agencies in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttaranchal.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state level public agencies have made elaborate arrangements for purchasing wheat from April 1.

The government held about 4.7 million tonne of wheat on February 1. These stocks are expected to be depleted further to some extent till the procurement from the next crop begins.

The country had wheat stocks of around 4.7 million tonne on February 1. New crop wheat output is estimated at around 74-75 million tonne. Last year, the country's wheat output dropped to about 72 million tonne owing to poor weather.

India's wheat crop is sown in November and December and harvesting begins in April in the main northern growing states of Punjab and Haryana. Harvesting for the early grown varieties in Madhya Pradesh begins in late February.