Quality Issues Persist Amidst Government Wheat Procurement in Punjab

15-Apr-2026 12:20 PM

Chandigarh. In Punjab—the state contributing the most to the Union Ministry of Agriculture—the arrival of wheat at government procurement centers has begun to rise following the clearing of the weather and the conclusion of the Baisakhi festival.

Procurement at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) has also commenced; however, issues regarding the quality of the wheat persist due to crop damage caused by adverse weather conditions in recent days. Currently, only wheat meeting the standard average quality norms is being accepted at government procurement centers.

It is noteworthy that wheat procurement had been halted on April 12. The stated reason for this suspension was that political pressure was being exerted to procure wheat from farmers that had a high moisture content, with demands being made to disregard the prescribed quality standards.

Staff members from the state-level agencies—PUNSUP, Pungrain, Markfed, and the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation—maintained that they are obligated to uphold the quality of the procured grain, as their stock can only be handed over to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) if it meets these standards.

Subsequently, consultations were held with the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, and wheat procurement has now resumed in the state.

The agencies have clarified that, for the time being, only wheat that strictly adheres to the prescribed standards is being procured; the request submitted to the Central Government to relax these quality norms remains pending.