With wheat harvesting getting delayed because of untimely rains and low temperature, wheat purchases for central pool could not take place in Punjab and Haryana on April 1, which is the first day of rabi marketing season 2013-14.
“Wheat procurement has not started yet in Punjab as crop harvesting has got delayed,” an official of Food Corporation of India (FCI) said.
“There has not been any arrival of crop in Haryana so far. Therefore, wheat purchase has not commenced,” an official of Haryana Food and Supplies department said.
Wheat harvesting in Punjab and Haryana is expected to pick up after mid of April as crop has still not ripened in view of untimely rain lashing the various parts of northern region last week and unexpectedly low temperature, farm experts said.
Key wheat growing states of Punjab and Haryana are eyeing all-time high crop buying of 227.30 lakh tonnes, up by five per cent over last season’s purchase. About 500 tonnes of wheat had arrived in Haryana on April 1 last year.
Punjab has planned to
procure record 140 lakh tonnes of wheat during Rabi marketing season 2013-14.
Haryana has made arrangement for procuring 87.30 lakh tonnes for the central pool in the coming season. A record 87.16 lakh tonnes was procured last season from Haryana.Both Punjab and Haryana are eyeing wheat output of 161.59 lakh tonnes and 124 lakh tonnes respectively for the current rabi season.