NEW DELHI: At the end of the current wheat procurement season, the government has procured over 296 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of wheat, which is quite higher than in the past three years. However, the procurement is still far below the target of 332 LMT. Last year, the final wheat procurement was 266 LMT. Like previous years, Punjab contributed the most to the stock, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Haryana to the central pool. Punjab contributed 119.3 LMT, whereas MP contributed 77.7 LMT and Haryana (71.4 LMT). (see table)“We believe that our final wheat procurement will be between 295-300 LMT this season,” said Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, Ministry of Food and Public Distribution. “Procurement is going on in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, which will add to the stock,” he adds. Increased procurement of wheat and a six-year low in food inflation have put the government in a comfortable position. Contributions from UP, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, and Kashmir were below expectations.
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