The central government on Thursday announced plans to significantly increase wheat procurement in non-traditional states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. A target has been set to increase the procurement seven times to 50 lakh tonnes in the current marketing year 2024-25. These three states have contributed only 6.7 lakh tonnes to the central pool during the 2023-24 marketing year (April-March). Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra gave this information. According to Bhasha news, the Secretary said that the government has taken steps to ensure transfer of MSP to the bank accounts of farmers within 48 hours, streamlining the incidental burden of procurement for farmers, banking related issues like Aadhaar integration with bank accounts. It has been decided to streamline it.
MSP of wheat is fixed at Rs 2,275 per quintal.
The Union Food Ministry has set a target of purchasing 16 percent of the total wheat procurement target of 310 lakh tonnes for 2024-25. Wheat procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) is usually done by the Centre’s nodal agency Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies. However, cooperative societies NAFED and NCCF have also been included this year with a procurement target of five lakh tonnes each. The minimum support price (MSP) of wheat for the current year has been fixed at Rs 2,275 per quintal.
Target to purchase total 310 lakh tonnes of wheat
Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra told reporters that Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan are contributing much less than their potential. We are targeting to purchase a total of 310 lakh tonnes of wheat this year. Of which we are expecting to purchase at least 50 lakh tonnes from the three non-traditional purchasing states alone. Since October, the Center has been working with these three states to increase procurement levels. He said several steps have been taken to address the shortcomings and this will help in boosting procurement levels in the three states.
The government has taken these initiatives
The government has also opened more procurement centers targeting production hotspots, set up mobile procurement centres, decided to take advantage of self-help groups, panchayats, farmer producer organisations. The Secretary informed that a Central Control Room has been set up at FCI Headquarters in Delhi for real-time monitoring of procurement and coordination between various agencies. On wheat and rice prices, the Secretary said that after the start of retail sale of ‘Bharat’ brand wheat flour, the prices of flour and wheat are currently stable. So far, about 7.06 lakh tonnes of wheat flour has been sold. About 3.1 lakh tonnes of FCI rice has been sold under the Bharat brand since February.
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