Government Procurement of Wheat Reaches Nearly 18,000 Tonnes So Far

01-Apr-2026 06:07 PM

New Delhi. Although the new marketing season for government wheat procurement formally commenced today—April 1, 2026—the procurement process had already begun in certain states as early as March.

Government agencies have so far procured 17,883 tonnes of wheat for the Central Pool, and the pace of procurement is expected to accelerate going forward.

The Union Ministry of Food has set a target to procure 303.36 lakh tonnes of wheat during the current year. In wholesale markets, the prices of this vital food grain have dropped below the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Consequently, the inflow of wheat at government procurement centers is expected to increase. Until now, wheat procurement was underway in specific pockets of states such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra; however, robust procurement is now set to commence in the remaining regions of these provinces, as well as in states like Punjab, Haryana, and Bihar.

As of March 31, 17,818 tonnes of wheat had been procured in Rajasthan—less than half of the 38,379 tonnes procured during the previous year. In Uttar Pradesh, 85 tonnes of wheat were procured. Procurement in other states has been negligible.