Rabi procurement numbers leave Centre and farmers baffled

The instability in the figures of procurement of foodgrains left the union government and food corporation of India in a perplexing situation, as the procurement of wheat in the country has witnessed a surge, whereas paddy procurement has reported a decline in the last procurement season.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

As per the latest procurement figures shared by the union minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in the Lok Sabha, the wheat procurement in the country during the Rabi Marketing Season in 2024-25 improved to 266.05 lakh MT against 262.02 lakh MT RMS 2023-24. This is despite the biggest decline reported from the leading wheat-growing state of Madhya Pradesh, where government agencies could procure only 48.39 lakh MT of wheat against 70.97 lakh MT procured last year. Whereas, the leading foodgrain-producing states of Haryana and Punjab witnessed a surge in production as government agencies have procured 71.50 lakh MT from Haryana against 63.17 lakh MT procured in 2023-24, and in Punjab, the total wheat procurement stood at 124.64. lakh MT against 121.26 lakh MT of the last year.