Wheat procurement deadline extended after export ban; quality norms eased

Till May 14, some 18 million tonnes of wheat have been bought for Central pool; that's 51% lower than the procurement during the same period last year

Days after the government banned exports, it has extended the deadline for procurement of wheat from farmers till May 31, 2022 in those states where it is expiring early.

It has also lowered the quality specifications to enable even inferior quality grains to be purchased for the Central pool.

According to an official order, till May 14, around 18 million tonnes of wheat have been purchased for the Central pool which is almost 51 per cent less than the same period last year as production dropped due to rise in terminal heat in the main growing months, while farmers also preferred their wheat to private traders at higher than MSP rates.

The rates were higher due to strong export demand.

Meanwhile, in case of quality of grains, the government statement said that for farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, the maximum permissible limit of shriveled grains has been extended upto 18 per cent from the earlier limit of 6 per cent.

The states of Punjab and Haryana, has sought relaxation in wheat quality specification to allow procurement of upto 20 percent shriveled grains.

"The emergence of shriveled grains is a natural phenomenon appearing as a result of the extreme heat wave that enveloped the northern part of the country in the month of March," an official statement said.

Meanwhile, the government in a presentation, yesterday said that of the 18 million tonnes of wheat procured from farmers so far, around 7.5 million tonnes or 42 per cent is shriveled grains.

So far, across the country around 21.5 million tonnes of wheat has arrived in the mandis of which around 18 million tonnes has been procured for the Central pool.