New Delhi: The government has procured 184.58 lakh tonnes of wheat at an MSP value of Rs 37,192.07 crore so far in the ongoing 2022-23 rabi marketing year, benefitting 17.50 lakh farmers, a statement by the Food Ministry read on Monday.
According to the Food Ministry, 96.16 lakh tonnes of wheat have been procured in Punjab, 44.45 lakh tonnes in Madhya Pradesh, 40.97 lakh tonnes in Haryana, and 2.84 lakh tonnes in Uttar Pradesh till May 29 of the current marketing year.
About 3,343 tonnes of wheat have been procured in Bihar, 3,221 tonnes in Chandigarh, 1,982 tonnes in Uttrakhand, and 1,685 tonnes in Rajasthan, while one tonne in Delhi during the comparable period.
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The rabi marketing year runs from April to March but the bulk of procurement ends by June. The wheat procurement target has declined to 195 lakh tonnes for the current year from the earlier 444 lakh tonnes due to a fall in wheat output and increased exports.
It is worthy to note here that the Union Government had put out a ban on May 14 on wheat exports to ensure adequate availability of the food grain in the country.
The reason behind this was the reduction in the wheat output due to intense heatwaves in various parts of the country and the impact of the war in Ukraine unleashed by the Russian Federation which has disrupted the supply chains and has impacted the grain industry globally.
