The States told the Union Government that the procurement may be met this year considering current crop conditions, and the Union Government has plans to purchase 34.1 million tonnes (mt) of wheat in the upcoming rabi marketing season beginning in April.
“That is not a target but based on what States have informed the Centre,” a Food Ministry official said, after a daylong meeting of States’ Food Ministers and secretaries on Wednesday.
He did, however, make it clear that the government will continue to follow the open-ended procurement policy and will purchase however much produce farmers choose to sell during the procurement season, which begins on April 1.
According to Sanjeev Chopra, the food secretary, procurement will begin in Gujarat on March 20 and in Madhya Pradesh on March 25.
