Government Procurement of Wheat Begins in Punjab

11-Apr-2025 04:55 PM

Jalandhar: The arrival of new wheat has started in Punjab's grain mandis, with government agencies and private buyers beginning procurement activities.

As of 9 April 2025, about 2035 tonnes of wheat had arrived in the mandis, of which 1351 tonnes were purchased—936 tonnes by government agencies and 415 tonnes by private firms.

Wheat arrivals are expected to increase rapidly next week, especially after Baisakhi, when mandis often see a sudden surge, causing delays in sale for farmers.

The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat has been fixed at ₹2426 per quintal for the Rabi season 2024-25, and procurement is ongoing at this rate.

Private flour millers and traders are actively buying wheat this year due to low existing stocks and the removal of the storage limit by the government. The state is targeting government procurement of 124 lakh tonnes this season.

However, storage remains a major challenge. While some rice stock has been moved out of godowns to make space, it is still insufficient.

The government is now considering using the closed sugar mill warehouse in Sherron, Tarn Taran, for wheat storage.

Additionally, 20 lakh tonnes of wheat will be sent directly to other states from procurement centres to ease pressure on local storage facilities.