Wheat procurement rises 92% to 83.58 lakh tonnes

18-Apr-2025 11:55 AM

New Delhi. Government procurement of wheat has surged significantly in the current Rabi marketing season, with 83.58 lakh tonnes procured by April 16, 2025 — a 92.3% jump compared to 43.46 lakh tonnes in the same period last year.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and its state agencies are actively buying wheat across major producing states including Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

The Union Food Ministry has set a target of 312.70 lakh tonnes for this season and expects to meet it comfortably, following three years of falling short.

Madhya Pradesh leads in procurement with 40.08 lakh tonnes, up from 21.67 lakh tonnes, aided by an early start on March 15 and a state bonus of ₹175 per quintal above the MSP of ₹2,425.

Rajasthan has also offered a ₹150 bonus per quintal and eased quality norms, pushing procurement there to 4.80 lakh tonnes from less than 97,000 tonnes last year.

Uttar Pradesh has procured 3.42 lakh tonnes, up from 2.20 lakh tonnes, while Gujarat has recorded 1,920 tonnes, compared to none last year.

In Punjab, procurement rose to 5.29 lakh tonnes from 74,000 tonnes, and Haryana saw a 67% increase to 29.89 lakh tonnes.

Even Bihar reported a rise from 2,000 to 7,000 tonnes. Early procurement and state incentives are driving the growth.