This time, every effort will be made to reach the fixed target for government procurement of wheat

03-Mar-2025 08:46 PM

It seems like the government is making concerted efforts to meet the target for wheat procurement in 2025, after facing a shortfall in previous years.

Despite setting targets for wheat procurement in the past few years, the actual procurement has consistently fallen short.

The target for 2024, for example, was 373 lakh tonnes, but only 266.10 lakh tonnes were procured, which is significantly below the target.

This trend has led to increased concerns about food security and the need to streamline procurement efforts.

This year, the government has set a more modest target of procuring 310 lakh tonnes of wheat, down from the ambitious figures of previous years.

To meet this target, the government is focusing on states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan to help bridge the gap.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has faced fewer challenges in states like Punjab and Haryana due to the reluctance of traders and millers to buy wheat there because of high Mandi taxes.

However, the price of wheat is currently higher than the minimum support price (MSP) in many major mandis, which complicates procurement efforts.

In response, the government has increased the quantity of wheat available for sale under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to 5 lakh tonnes per week.

This measure aims to make wheat more accessible for flour millers and processors and potentially reduce wheat prices in the market.

As harvesting begins next month, government and trade procurement activities are expected to ramp up, and wheat stock arrivals are likely to increase, especially starting in March