The government has procured 262 lakh tonnes of wheat this year at the minimum support price (MSP), resulting in a payment of approximately Rs 47,000 crore to farmers. On Thursday, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution informed that about 21.27 lakh farmers have benefitted from the ongoing wheat procurement operations with a Minimum Support Price (MSP) outflow of about Rs. 47,000 crores.
The Rabi marketing season runs from April to March. However, the bulk of wheat procurement is done between April and June. Wheat is a major rabi (winter-sown) crop.
Major contribution in the procurement has come from three states of Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana, with procurement of 121.27 lakh tonnes, 70.98 lakh tonnes, and 63.17 lakh tonnes, respectively.
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The Food ministry said, "The major contributing factors in healthy procurement this year has been the grant of relaxation by the Government of India in quality specifications of wheat affected due to untimely rains; the opening of procurement centers at village/ panchayat level; carrying out procurement through Co-operative Societies/ Gram Panchayats/ Arhatias, etc. in addition to designated procurement centers for better outreach and permission to engage FPOs for procurement operations."
On rice procurement, it said that "a quantity of 385 lakh tonnes of rice has been procured till May 30 during the Kharif crop of Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2022-23 with another 110 lakh tonnes yet to be procured. Further, a quantity of 106 lakh tonnes of rice has been estimated to be procured during the Rabi crop of KMS 2022-23".
"The combined stock position of wheat and rice in the Central Pool is over 579 lakh tonnes (wheat 312 lakh tonnes and rice 267 lakh tonnes), which has placed the country in a comfortable position to meet its requirements of food grains," the ministry said.