New Delhi: Government today fixed wheat procurement target at 33 million tonnes during the marketing year starting April as against 22.96 million tonnes purchased by FCI during this year.
The target was fixed in the meeting of State Food Secretaries held here to discuss procurement arrangements. It was chaired by the Food Secretary Preeti Sudan, said a statement issued by the Food Ministry.
"In consultation with the states, it was decided to procure 33 million tonnes of wheat during 2017-18 rabi marketing season, which is considerably more in comparison with the last season actual procurement of 22.96 million tonnes," it said.
Out of total wheat procurement target for the 2017-18 marketing year (April-March), Punjab aims to procure maximum wheat at 11.5 million tonnes, followed by Madhya Pradesh 8.5 million tonnes, Haryana at 7.5 million tonnes, Uttar Pradesh - 3 million tonnes and Rajasthan- 1.7 million tonnes.
Although wheat marketing year runs from April-March, the bulk of procurement is done in first three months. In case of rice, the government has set a target to buy 5 million tonnes of rice grown in rabi season of 2016-17.
This is over and above the estimate of 33 million tonnes set for buying kharif rice this year. Already, kharif rice procurement has reached 29.23 million tonnes as on today. Higher wheat procurement target has been kept keeping in view of expected record output on the back of good monsoon.
Wheat production target is kept at a record 96.50 million tonnes for 2016-17 crop year, much higher than the actual output of 93.50 million tonnes last year.
