Increase in total government procurement of rice despite weak performance in Punjab and Haryana
05-Mar-2025 07:27 PM
The article highlights a decrease in rice procurement in Punjab and Haryana during the 2024-25 Kharif marketing season, which is a key part of India's annual rice procurement strategy.
Despite this decline in the major rice-producing states of Punjab and Haryana, there has been a significant increase in procurement from other states like Telangana, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu.
In Punjab, rice procurement fell by 6% compared to the previous year, dropping from 124.30 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 to 116.30 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
Haryana also saw a decline in procurement, from 39.50 lakh tonnes to 36 lakh tonnes, though both states had set higher procurement targets for 2024-25 (124 lakh tonnes in Punjab and 40 lakh tonnes in Haryana).
On the other hand, Telangana's procurement rose by about 14% from 31.70 lakh tonnes to 36.20 lakh tonnes.
In Orissa, procurement has already exceeded last year's total, reaching 44.10 lakh tonnes as of February 28, an increase of 15% compared to the same period last year.
Andhra Pradesh, another key rice-producing state, also reported an increase in procurement from 13.30 lakh tonnes to 14.50 lakh tonnes.
In West Bengal, the procurement of rice has more than doubled, rising from 7.40 lakh tonnes last year to 18.50 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
Tamil Nadu saw a 32% increase in government rice procurement, from 10.80 lakh tonnes to 14.20 lakh tonnes.
Overall, despite weaker performance in Punjab and Haryana, the government has seen a notable increase in rice procurement from other states, resulting in a 5% overall increase in national procurement, which reached 458.40 lakh tonnes by February 28, 2025.
The total procurement for the 2024-25 season is expected to exceed last year's total, with a target of 495.60 lakh tonnes.
This data suggests that the central government is still on track to meet its procurement target, thanks to stronger performances in other rice-producing regions of the country