NEW DELHI: The government has procured 3.49 lakh tonnes of wheat worth at Rs 691 crore at the minimum support price so far in the marketing season 2021-22. The wheat procurement for the rabi marketing season kicked off from April.
According to an official statement, the procurement of the crop began in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat and Rajasthan recently. More than 3.49 lakh tonnes of wheat has been bought till April 5, translating into MSP benefits worth Rs 690.82 crore for 4.45 lakh farmers, the statement said. It said paddy procurement for the current kharif marketing season — which runs from October to September — is under way seamlessly.
Haryana tweaks wheat procurement rules
Amid the Opposition’s charges that the state authorities are not procuring wheat, the Haryana government clarified that crop procurement will begin in the local markets (mandis) around April 10. The government also said it had changed the rules to ensure that the farmer does not face any difficulty in offloading the produce.
Farmers bringing their wheat to the market without receiving the SMS will also be able to sell, said the Haryana government, adding that rules related to procurement have been relaxed in order to allow the farmer to sell the produce in the market out of schedule.
The wheat procurement is estimated at 80 lakh tonnes this year.