Government to target 44mt wheat buy this year

MUMBAI: Anticipating a record wheat harvest, the government has set a target of procuring 44 million tonne this year, up from last year’s level of 38.15 million tonne. This will lead to an unprecedented stock of 90-95 million tonne of wheat and rice, further straining storage facilities that are already stretched after a series of bumper harvests. The estimate for this year’s procurement was finalised in a meeting of state government officials and Food Secretary Sudhir Kumar, a government statement said.

The officials discussed arrangements for procurement, storage plans, availability of credit to state agencies involved in procurement, and the availability of adequate packaging material, the statement said.

Kumar directed the Food Corporation of India to depute its senior officers to ensure proper arrangements for the procurement in collaboration with state food secretaries. He asked the states to provide adequate storage space. The meeting was attended by food secretaries from Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.