Government Wheat Procurement Rises Amidst Record Production and Heavy Arrivals

29-May-2026 08:01 PM

New Delhi. In its third advance estimate, the Union Ministry of Agriculture has projected that total domestic wheat production during the 2025-26 Rabi season is likely to surge to an all-time high of 1206.60 lakh tonnes—a figure significantly higher than the revised production estimate of 1179.40 lakh tonnes for the 2024-25 season. This year, the area under wheat cultivation reached a record level.

Government procurement centers witnessed massive wheat arrivals this year, compelling the government to repeatedly revise upward its procurement target.

Initially, a procurement target of 303 lakh tonnes was set for the Central Pool; this was subsequently raised by 42 lakh tonnes to 345 lakh tonnes in the second phase, and further increased by 1 lakh tonne to 346 lakh tonnes in the third phase.

A fourth-phase revision is now awaited, as the current procurement target has already been achieved, even while the procurement process remains ongoing in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. In Madhya Pradesh, wheat procurement has already exceeded the set target.