Pace of Government Wheat Procurement Expected to Accelerate Soon

02-Apr-2026 01:27 PM

New Delhi. The vigorous harvesting and preparation of the new wheat crop—the most prominent food grain of the Rabi season—and its supply to agricultural markets (mandis) are expected to gain momentum shortly.

The new marketing season for its government procurement formally commenced on April 1. Although government procurement had already begun in March in states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, the pace of procurement remained slow.

Procurement was significant only in Rajasthan, where approximately 18,000 tonnes of wheat were procured; notably, the state government had announced an additional bonus of ₹150 per quintal over and above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) this season. In Uttar Pradesh, 65 tonnes of wheat were procured.

In Punjab—the state contributing the largest share of food grains to the Central Pool—wheat procurement began on April 1; however, farmers there typically begin unloading their massive stocks of wheat at government procurement centers only after celebrating the festival of Baisakhi in mid-April.

In contrast, the arrival and procurement of wheat gain momentum much earlier in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

The Central Government has set a procurement target of 303.36 lakh tonnes of wheat for this season. Currently, market prices for wheat have fallen below the government's support price.