Wheat procurement swells to record 36.73 mn tonne this year so far

Total wheat purchase this marketing season has already surpassed the govt's target of 31.8 million tonne

A record production of wheat has helped procurement of the essential staple rise by 34% to a record 36.73 million tonnes (million tonne) in this year so far.

The government had purchased 27.32 million tonne of wheat in the same period of the 2011-12 wheat marketing season (April-March).

Total wheat purchase in this marketing season has already surpassed the government's target of 31.8 million tonne.

According to the latest government data, wheat procurement as on June 18, 2012, stood at 36.73 million tonne, while the arrivals stood at 38.97 million tonne.

Punjab and Haryana have procured nearly 12.82 million tonne and 8.66 million tonne of wheat, respectively, in the current season.

Wheat purchase in Madhya Pradesh stood at 8.49 million tonne this year while in Uttar Pradesh it was at 4.17 million tonne this year.

Wheat production of India, the world's second-largest producer, is estimated at a record 90.23 million tonne in the 2011-12 crop year (July-June). The minimum support price of wheat stands at Rs 1,285 per quintal.