Wheat Procurement Down 69% - Govt Data

New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) The government's wheat procurement reached 15.30 lakh tonne so far in the current 2026-27 rabi marketing season, over 69 per cent lower than the year-ago period, according to FCI data.

Wheat, the main rabi (winter) crop, is procured through the April-March period. However, much of the grain is bought in the first few months itself, mainly by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies.

According to the FCI data, the agencies have procured 15.30 lakh tonne so far since the start of the procurement operation from April 1, while the arrival stood at 34.74 lakh tonne.

In the same period of the previous 2025-26 rabi marketing season, the agencies had procured 50.08 lakh tonne, and the arrival was 92.72 lakh tonne.

The arrival of the wheat crop into mandis and procurement was affected due to recent unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms.

As of April 13, wheat procurement in Punjab was 29,925 tonne, Haryana, 11.23 lakh tonne, Uttar Pradesh 96,670 tonne, Madhya Pradesh 1.02 lakh tonne, Rajasthan 8,957 tonne, Uttarakhand 1.66 lakh tonne.

The government has set a wheat procurement target of 30.3 lakh tonne for the ongoing 2026-27 season. The procurement in major states such as Punjab and Madhya Pradesh commenced on April 1, 2026, while specific regions like Rajasthan began as early as March 10, 2026.

Wheat is being procured at a minimum support price of Rs 2,585 per quintal.