Business

Government Increases Procurement of Wheat Under MSP by 13%

In the last one week, wheat procurement by state government agencies and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has gained momentum after a slow start caused by harvesting delays due to unseasonal rains last month.

As of Thursday, the procurement of wheat by agencies from farmers under the minimum support price (MSP) scheme has exceeded 12.45 million metric tonnes (MT), marking a 13% increase from the previous year. The highest wheat contributors to this procurement are Punjab, with 4.67 MT, followed by Haryana, with 4.21 MT, and Madhya Pradesh, with 3.48 MT. However, the purchases made in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have been negligible.

Also Read: FOREX Reserves Surge to Record Highs, Boosting Economic Outlook

Official data shows that there has been an arrival of 16.13 million metric tonnes (MT) of wheat in the significant mandis until now, as compared to 15.45 MT reported in the first three weeks of the procurement season (April-June) last year. Around 1.31 million farmers have benefited from the minimum support price (MSP) operations for wheat purchase. However, while the government agencies owe Rs 26,188 crore to farmers for their wheat purchase, they have only paid Rs 12,037 crore to date.

A representative of the food ministry has stated that the payment of minimum support price (MSP) to wheat farmers has experienced delays due to the implementation of value loss by the ministry under the more flexible procurement regulations. A few states have committed to providing compensation to the farmers for the value loss resulting from procurement agencies. The government aims to procure 34 million metric tonnes (MT) of wheat in the present season to increase the stocks, which have fallen to 8.4 MT as of April 1, representing the lowest level since 2016.

The food ministry recently granted permission to buy shrunken and damaged wheat grains from farmers in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, up to 18%, with a specified reduction in value. This represents a significant increase from the earlier limit of 6%.

The ministry had eased procurement regulations by allowing the purchase of grains with a loss of shine of over 10% from farmers in Madhya Pradesh earlier on March 31. The relaxation came with a nominal value cut of 5.31/quintal against the minimum support price (MSP) of 2,125/quintal for the current season.

Also Read: India’s Ports Achieve Highest Ever Cargo Handling in FY23, Crosses 795 Million Tonnes

Last year, the government’s procurement of wheat reduced by over 56.6%, amounting to 18.8 MT, compared to 43.3 MT purchased from farmers in 2021. This was due to a decrease in production resulting from a surge in March temperatures and an increase in private purchases driven by global demand. In order to restore the inventory, it is essential for the FCI and state agencies to procure at least 30 MT of wheat this season from farmers. This will ensure a sufficient amount of grains for the implementation of the National Food Security Act and the creation of an appropriate buffer stock. By July 1, FCI must have a buffer of 27.57 MT.

The government has expressed optimism about achieving a record wheat production of 112 MT during the current crop season spanning from July to June. Furthermore, the government has ruled out any significant reduction in grain output due to recent unseasonal rains in important states. According to a survey report by the Roller Flour Millers’ Federation of India, the predicted wheat production for the current crop year was 102.89 MT.

Shruti Rag

Recent Posts

Pakistan’s Digital Frontline: Jokes, Memes And Savage Self-Roasts

While tensions between India and Pakistan escalate post the tragic Pahalgam terror attack, something unexpected…

5 hours ago

Reliance Industries Q4 Net Profit Rises 6.4% As Retail And Digital Units Offset Energy Weakness

Reliance Industries delivered a strong Q4 FY25 performance, with Y-o-Y net profit rising 6.4% to…

5 hours ago

Yash Pratap Singh And Mehak Jaiswal Top UP Board Exams With Outstanding Scores

Yash Pratap Singh of Jalaun tops Class 10 with 97.83%, while Prayagraj’s Mehak Jaiswal secures…

5 hours ago

Yogi Adityanath Calls For Reforms To Make Madrasa Education Modern And Employment-Oriented

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday emphasised the need for sweeping reforms in the madrasa…

6 hours ago

Tulsi Gabbard Backs India’s Hunt For Pahalgam Terror Attack Perpetrators

United States Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard on Friday expressed strong support for…

7 hours ago

World Leaders Head To Rome For funeral Of Pope Francis

Indian President Droupadi Murmu will also attend, representing India alongside Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Minister…

8 hours ago