BackGovt agencies procure more wheat despite lower production
In the ongoing rabi season, agencies procured 26.7 mt of wheat, 0.5 mt more than the quantity procured by this time last year
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New Delhi: Procurement of wheat by state agencies has crossed last year’s numbers, despite a likely dip in production this year due to unseasonal showers just ahead of harvest.
In the ongoing rabi (winter crop) season, government agencies have procured 26.7 million tonnes (mt) of wheat, 0.5 mt more than the quantity procured by this time last year, the food ministry said in a release on Wednesday.
The higher procurement is despite a 5.3% estimated dip in wheat production in 2014-15 compared to last year, due to unseasonal showers in March and April.
Untimely rain and hailstorms damaged a variety of crops across 19 million hectares, nearly a third of the winter crop area.
Higher procurement numbers means growers chose to sell more wheat to the government as it relaxed quality norms for procurement as a relief measure for affected farmers.
According to the numbers from the food ministry, the highest procurement of wheat was from Punjab at 9.8 mt, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 7.26 mt.
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