Procurement of wheat falls by a million tonne

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies have bought over 13.92 million tonne of wheat in the current rabi marketing season. This is about a million tonne less than last year's procurement of 14.96 million tonne till this date.

Nearly 94 per cent of the recorded arrivals of wheat in mandis this season have been picked up by public agencies.

This reflects near absence of the private trade from the grain market as purchasers, especially in Punjab and Haryana where public agencies have bought over 97 per cent of the market arrivals.

However, wheat harvesting is still in progress and more stocks are likely to be procured for the central grain pool. Last year, about 16.79 million tonne of wheat were procured during the entire season.

This year, though the FCI was expecting the procurement to exceed last year's level because of anticipated better harvest, but the latest indications are that the crop size is smaller than expected. This may also be reflected in the procurement to some extent.

Punjab, as usual, is leading in wheat procurement with the official agencies having already mopped up 8.65 million tonne of wheat from the total arrival of 8.87 million tonne.

This is lower than last season's corresponding procurement of 9.28 million tonne. The shortfall is attributed to lower than anticipated crop yield and disruption in the harvest operations due to sporadic rains.

Haryana mandis have reported a total wheat arrival of 4.45 million tonne this far and the public agencies have picked up 4.4 million tonne of these. This level is only marginally lower than last year's corresponding procurement of 4.9 million tonne.

Wheat procurement in other states was "" Uttar Pradesh 3.04 lakh, tonnes, Rajasthan, 1.18 lakh tonnes and Madhya Pradesh, 4.05 lakh tonnes.

Small quantities have been bought by other states as well. Of the total procurement, the FCI's north zonal office has alone mopped up over two million tonne. This includes 1.3 million tonne by Punjab, 5.9 lakh tonnes by Haryana and over one lakh tonne by Rajasthan.

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Buying order

• Punjab is leading in wheat procurement with the official agencies having already mopped up 8.65 million tonne of wheat
• In Haryana, public agencies have picked up 4.4 million tonne wheat
• Uttar Pradesh bought 3.04 lakh tonnes, Rajasthan 1.18 lakh bought tonnes and MP picked up 4.05 lakh tonne