Wheat procurement has been extended till May 31 in Uttar Pradesh.
The procurement of the Rabi crop was scheduled to end on May 15.
The Union Food Ministry, for augmenting wheat procurement for the Central pool, has also extended the date in six other states including Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Wheat procurement was scheduled to end on May 10 in Rajasthan and on May 15 in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
Wheat procurement in the ongoing 2022-23 marketing year began in April. The maximum wheat is procured in the first few months of the year.
“The Centre has asked wheat producing states and Union territories with procurement closing dates expiring early to continue procurement till May 31, 2022,” said an official of the Food and Civil Supplies department.
The nodal agency, Food Corporation of India (FCI), has also been asked to continue with wheat procurement under the central pool. The extended period is expected to benefit farmers. The decision comes in the wake of requests by state governments and union territories to continue the procurement process. Meanwhile, the procurement of wheat under the Central pool is progressing smoothly in states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar and Rajasthan.
The wheat procurement by the government agencies has been less so far this year mainly due to the higher market prices than the minimum support price (MSP) as a result of which farmers have been selling wheat to private traders.
The government on May 13 banned the export of wheat to rein in high prices of wheat, except in case of irrevocable letter of credit and requests from neighbouring and food-affected countries. The government’s wheat procurement reached 18 million ton till May 14 of the ongoing 2022-23 marketing year, less than 36.7 million ton in 2021. Wheat procurement target has been revised to 19.5 million ton from earlier target of 44.4 million ton for this year.