Wheat procurement is down by nearly four per cent to 21.97 million tonnes since the current marketing year began on April 1, despite record production, according to government data for the period up to May 19.
In comparison, wheat procurement stood at 22.84 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The government expects to procure 24.5-25 million tonnes of wheat in the 2010-11 marketing year (April-March) as against a record 25.4 million tonnes last year, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said earlier this month.
However, the states have set a target to procure 26.2 million tonnes of wheat. Wheat procurement, the bulk of which is conducted between April and June, is down in all major states barring Madhya Pradesh.
According to Food Corporation of India (FCI) data, Punjab has contributed the maximum quantity of 10.17 million tonnes of wheat to the central pool so far this marketing year, though this is nearly five per cent less than the 10.66 million tonnes of wheat it purchased during the same period last year.
FCI has procured 6.32 million tonnes from Haryana so far this year, eight per cent lower than the 6.88 million tonnes it purchased last year. Wheat procurement by Madhya Pradesh, however, registered over two-fold growth to 3.34 million tonnes from 1.58 million tonnes a year ago.
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FCI and other state agencies have procured 1.47 million tonnes of wheat from Uttar Pradesh so far this year against 2.47 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.
The Centre procures foodgrains at a minimum support price (MSP) to protect farmers from market fluctuations. The MSP for wheat has been fixed at Rs 1,100 per quintal for the 2010-11 marketing season.
India's wheat production was pegged at a record 80.98 million tonnes in 2009-10 as per the third advance estimates floated by the government, which is marginally higher than output of 80.68 million tonnes in the previous year.