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Informist, Tuesday, May 20, 2025

 

--Food secy: Expect 2025-26 wheat procurement at 29.5 mln tn-30.0 mln tn

--CONTEXT: Govt raised 2025-26 wheat procurement target to 33.3 mln tn 

 

NEW DELHI – The government is likely to end wheat procurement operations at 29.5 million tonnes-30.0 million tonnes in the rabi marketing season 2025-26 (Apr-Mar), Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on the sidelines of a consumer affairs ministry event Tuesday. This is well short of the government's revised target of 33.3 million tonnes.

 

Procurement operations have ended in major wheat-producing states like Punjab and Haryana. However, it is still going on in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. "So whatever will come (total purchase), it will come from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan," Chopra said. "I am hoping somewhere between 295-300 lakh metric tonnes (29.5 million tonnes-30.0 million tonnes)."

 

However, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi gave a more optimistic estimate of wheat procurement for the season at 32.0-35.0 million tonnes. The government has so far procured 29.5 million tonnes of wheat, Joshi said.

 

Sluggish purchases in key states like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have dragged procurement lower. "We thought we will do more in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab," Chopra said. Uttar Pradesh has so far procured only 1.0 million tonnes of wheat, against a target of 3.0 million tonnes. Meanwhile, Punjab bought 11.9 million tonnes against a target of 12.4 million tonnes. In both states, increased private purchases were a challenge for the government. "The pipeline was stretched and private parties bought more," Chopra said.

 

Asked if the government was likely to reimpose wheat stock limits with procurement likely to end below the target, Chopra said, "Let's see. We will come to know once the decision is made." Wheat procurement has surpassed last year's level of 26.6 million tonnes, and the supply scenario looks comfortable.

 

Though the government is grappling with surplus rice stocks, Chopra said there are no concerns regarding storage shortage, which was an issue 3-4 months ago. As of May 1, rice stocks in the central pool were at a 21-year high of 38.1 million tonnes, up 20% on year. On the back of good food grain production this year, Chopra said he is not concerned about food inflation.

 

The country's rice output for the crop year 2024-25 (Jul-Jun) is pegged at 136.5 million tonnes, including both kharif and rabi crops, according to the government's second advance estimates. In 2023-24, the government had estimated total rice production at 137.8 million tonnes in its final estimate. It expects wheat output for 2024-25 to be 115.4 million tonnes, higher than 113.3 million tonnes a year ago.  End

 

Reported by Afra Abubacker

Edited by Nishant Maher

 

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