Wheat Procurement Crosses 283 Lakh Tonnes, 17 Lakh Tonnes Higher Than Last Year's Procurement

In the current Rabi marketing season (2025–26), government procurement of wheat crossed 283.27 lakh tonnes as of May 6, which is 17 lakh tonnes more than the total procurement in the previous Rabi marketing season (2024–25). Last year, the total government procurement of wheat was 266 lakh tonnes, and by May 6, it had reached 238.95 lakh tonnes.

The central government has set a target of 332.7 lakh tonnes of wheat for the current marketing season. Based on procurement figures so far and current market prices, government procurement is likely to cross 300 lakh tonnes.

However, the government has extended the wheat procurement period until June 30 in several states, including Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In Punjab, which has the highest procurement, and Haryana, which ranks third, procurement will continue only until May 15, 2025.

According to the latest data from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), as of May 6, 114.39 lakh tonnes of wheat have been procured by the government in Punjab, where the target is 124 lakh tonnes—the highest in the country. In Madhya Pradesh, the procurement target is 80 lakh tonnes, and 76.87 lakh tonnes had been procured by May 6. In Haryana, 69.15 lakh tonnes had been procured by that date, against a target of 75 lakh tonnes. In Rajasthan, 13.63 lakh tonnes had been procured by May 6, compared to a target of 20 lakh tonnes.

In Uttar Pradesh, as of May 6, 8.99 lakh tonnes had been procured, while the target is 30 lakh tonnes. Due to large-scale private-sector purchases in Uttar Pradesh, government procurement remains below 10 lakh tonnes despite an estimated production of 357 lakh tonnes—the highest in the country.

In other states, 15,712 tonnes of wheat have been procured in Bihar, 3,119 tonnes in Gujarat, 2,559 tonnes in Himachal Pradesh, and 190 tonnes in Uttarakhand. No government procurement has been reported so far in Delhi, Maharashtra, or Jammu & Kashmir.

According to market sources, traders in many parts of Uttar Pradesh are buying wheat from farmers at around ₹2,500 per quintal. The government has set the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat at ₹2,425 per quintal for the current Rabi marketing season. The Madhya Pradesh government is offering a bonus of ₹175 per quintal, and the Rajasthan government is offering ₹150 per quintal on wheat purchases.

In Punjab, private companies and traders have also purchased wheat on a large scale. In Madhya Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region, wheat prices are hovering around the MSP, while in the Malwa region, the price of better-quality wheat has crossed ₹2,800 per quintal.