Wheat procurement in full swing at 262.48 LMT; surpasses last year’s total procurement figure

New Delhi, May 24 (Mayank Nigam) Wheat procurement in the Central Pool in the current Rabi Marketing season (RMS) 2024-25 has reached 262.48 lakh metric tonnes till now and has surpassed last year’s total procurement benefiting over 22.30 lakh farmers, the government said in an official statement. “Procurement of Wheat during RMS 2024-25 is going on smoothly in the major procuring States across the country. 262.48 LMT of wheat has already been procured so far this year in Central Pool surpassing last year’s total procurement of 262.02 LMT,” the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said. A total of 22.31 lakh farmers have been benefitted during RMS 2024-25 with total Minimum Support Price (MSP) outflow to the tune of Rs 59,715 crore.

Major contribution in the procurement came from five procuring states Viz. Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh with procurement of 124.26 LMT, 71.49 LMT, 47.78 LMT, 9.66 LMT and 9.07 LMT respectively. The rice procurement is also progressing smoothly, the Ministry said, adding 728.42 LMT paddy equivalent to 489.15 LMT of rice has been so far procured directly from 98.26 Lakh farmers during Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2023-24, with total MSP outflow of approx. Rs 1,60,472 crore. “With above quantity of procurement, the combined stock of wheat and rice at present in Central Pool surpassed 600 LMT which puts the country in a comfortable position to meet out its requirements of food grains under PMGKAY and other welfare schemes and for market interventions too,” the government said.