Punjab has commercially purchased 10.80 lakh tonnes of wheat out of 130 lakh tonnes of arrivals

19-May-2025 12:56 PM

Chandigarh. In Punjab, the leading contributor of food grains to the central pool, a total of 130.03 lakh tonnes of wheat arrived at government procurement centres in key mandis by May 15 during the current year.

Of this, 119.24 lakh tonnes were procured by government agencies, while 10.79 lakh tonnes were purchased by private firms and millers/processors.

The deadline for government procurement in the state ended on May 15. According to the Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister, 100 percent of the wheat that reached mandis and procurement centres was procured, ensuring that farmers received at least the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

In fact, private firms often offered prices higher than the MSP, and producers did not encounter any difficulties in selling their grain.

The lifting of wheat procured at these centres is progressing swiftly. Government agencies purchased 119.24 lakh tonnes of wheat from more than 7 lakh farmers in Punjab, and Rs 28,571 crore has been transferred to their bank accounts.

Of the total procurement, 104.51 lakh tonnes of wheat have already been lifted, and the remaining stock will be moved in the coming days.

Although the government had set a procurement target of 124 lakh tonnes in Punjab for this season, actual procurement fell short by approximately 4.76 lakh tonnes.

To facilitate smooth and efficient procurement, 2,885 centres were established across the state—1,864 of which were permanent and 1,021 temporary. Private buyers performed notably well in wheat procurement this season.