New Delhi, May 24 (HS): There is good news amid Lok Sabha elections. The Central Government has purchased 262.48 lakh tonnes of wheat in the marketing year 2024-25. The total purchase in the previous marketing year was 262.02 lakh tonnes. Overall procurement has been boosted by good procurement of wheat mainly in Punjab and Haryana.
The Ministry of Consumer, Food and Public Distribution said in a statement issued on Friday that 262.48 lakh tonnes of Rabi season grain wheat has been purchased for central storage. This has benefited 22.31 lakh farmers with a minimum support price (MSP) totalling Rs 59,715 crore. During the wheat procurement marketing year 2024-25, 124.26 lakh tonnes of wheat has been purchased in Punjab, 71.49 lakh tonnes in Haryana, 47.78 lakh tonnes in Madhya Pradesh, 9.66 lakh tonnes in Rajasthan and 9.07 lakh tonnes in Uttar Pradesh.
According to the ministry, procurement of rice is also continuing smoothly. 728.42 lakh tonnes of paddy equivalent to 489.15 lakh tonnes of rice has been purchased from 98.26 lakh farmers at a minimum support price of about Rs 1,60,472 crore. The Food Ministry said the combined stock of wheat and rice currently stands at more than 600 lakh tonnes in the central storage pool.
