Government procures 64.7 LMT of wheat worth Rs 12,800 Cr against target of 427 LMT
Shudhanshu Pandey, Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, has recently addressed the media virtually on the status of Wheat Procurement in Rabi Marketing Season 2021-22.
In his address, the Secretary said that the Government of India is committed to purchase the wheat at MSP and to ensure that payments are made directly into the accounts of the farmers. He further added that until now, 6,60,593 farmers from 11 states have benefited.
Pandey informed that the Rabi season 2021-22 has already started in the States of MP and Rajasthan from March 15, 2021, in Haryana & Delhi w.e.f. April 1, 2021, in Punjab w.e.f. April 10, and in Bihar, it will commence from April 20, 2021.
He briefed the media that during the current RMS (2021-22), so far, Government has procured 64.7 LMT of wheat worth Rs 12,800 Crore at MSP of Rs 1,975 per quintal, against an estimated target of 427 LMT this year. In comparison, last year (2020), record procurement was at 389 LMT but on the same date i.e. till April 14, it was just about 60 tonnes, whereas 12.81 LMT was procured during the corresponding period in the RMS 2019-20.
Briefing about the wheat procurement in Punjab, he informed that 10.6 LMT has been procured as of April 14, 2021, against zero (0) LMT during 2020-21 and 0.15 LMT during the corresponding period of 2019-20.
On a question of proposals for maize procurement in Bihar, the Secretary said that the existing policy of Govt. of India is to ask for quotes from states and accordingly MSP is announced.
Further to a question on price rise of oilseeds, he said the price rise is taking place due to several international on factors – damaged international oilseeds owing to which Latin American countries saw less production of Soyabean etc.
