Wheat procurement this season as Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh recorded more procurement than arrivals at the procurement places of various Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) mandis. The total procurement of wheat as of April 21 was 11.9 million tonnes (mt) against 17.09 mt in the year ago period, even with the fact that the government had last year launched a token system in view of the second wave of the Covid-19.
Punjab is the only State where the increase of procurement has more than the year ago level, the first time this season. All other States have made lower purchases compare to previous year. The Food Ministry is supposed to have informed the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) that wheat procurement could be around 25 mt against the 44 mt target set for it, which is down of 30% compared to last year.
The daily arrivals in Punjab fallen 9 % on Thursday compared to last year, while all through the last week supplies were higher, official sources said, including some stocks from the last day which could not be procured were also purchased.
The daily procurement in Punjab was about 0.65 mt from 0.43 mt arrivals reported on April 21. Purchases in Haryana were 0.09 mt against arrival of 0.07 mt on the same day and in India’s highest wheat producer Uttar Pradesh only 9,182 tonnes could be purchased as arrivals were lower at 6,942 tonnes.
The Field level staff have informed higher officials in the Food Corporation of India (FCI) that lot of farmers are besides selling to private traders or holding on to the crops looking for better rates, sources said.
