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Informist, Monday, Mar. 24, 2025

 

By Afra Abubacker

 

NEW DELHI – The Food Corp. of India's wheat purchases to date have surged 9.3 times more on year to 52,197 tonnes in the 2025-26 rabi marketing season. FCI officials attributed the surge to an early start of procurement and bonuses over the minimum support price announced by Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. FCI bought 5,619 tonnes during the corresponding period last year. 

 

"It is a good start. Let's see if the preliminary numbers continue in the coming weeks also," an official said. Though the rabi marketing season runs from April to March, the wheat procurement operations end in June. 

 

Procurement is also higher amid increased wheat crop arrivals. Wheat production in India is estimated to rise to a record 115.4 million tonnes in 2024-25 (Jul-Jun) from 113.2 million tonnes, according to the farm ministry. 

 

"Early start and better publicity of procurement has helped. Also bonus was declared earlier this time in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh," the official said. FCI and state agencies started wheat purchases early from Mar. 10 in Rajasthan and Mar. 15 in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, against the typical start in April. 

 

The Madhya Pradesh government has announced a bonus of INR 175 and Rajasthan INR 150 over and above the minimum support price of INR 2,425 per 100 kg. The Centre had hiked the MSP of wheat for 2025-26 rabi season by INR 150 from INR 2,275 per 100 kg last year. 

 

Though procurement had officially started on Mar. 15 in Uttar Pradesh, the state recorded its first purchases Monday with 11 tonnes, an FCI official said. As of Monday, Madhya Pradesh procured 49,394 tonnes, up from 4,984 tonnes during the corresponding period last year. Rajasthan procured 2,792 tonnes, up from 635 tonnes during the corresponding period last year.        

 

Asked if FCI is worried about storage shortage amid high purchases, the official said, "Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have ample storage. Only Punjab has storage problems. But then procurement will only start (in Punjab) from next month," he said. 

 

FCI continuously monitors storage capacities and hires or makes cover and plinth structures, he added. The plinth structure is a temporary outdoor raised platform covered with waterproof material. "Currently, only rabi wheat procurement is ongoing. Rabi paddy procurement is yet to start," he said. 

 

With a promising start to wheat procurement, FCI hopes to meet its procurement target of 31.27 million tonnes for FY26. Last year, the government bought only 26.61 million tonnes of wheat against the target of 30-32 million tonnes. Last year, Madhya Pradesh majorly dragged wheat procurement due to crop damages amid unseasonal rains and higher market rates, he said.  

 

So far, FCI and state agencies have bought 0.8% of the 6 million tonnes target in Madhya Pradesh and 0.1% of the 3 million tonnes target in Rajasthan, the data showed.  End

 

Edited by Saji George Titus

 

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