In Punjab grain markets 21% more wheat arrival than last year, procurement up 24%

The state’s mandis have witnessed 21% more wheat arrival this year. This year, the minimum support Price (MSP) of wheat was Rs 2,125 per quintal.

According to the Punjab Mandi Board, 123.68 lt wheat has arrived in mandis till May 10, out of which 119.24 lt was purchased by the government agencies and 4.46 lt was purchased by the private players. By this time last year, 102.30 lt wheat had arrived in the mandis out of which 6.20 lt was purchased by the private players.

This year the state has witnessed heavy rain, strong winds and hailstrom a couple of weeks before the harvesting was to begin and a heavy lodging (flattening) of the crop was witnessed resulting in a damage of wheat on 13.46 lakh hecatres ranging from 20% to 100%. The wheat crop was sown on 34.89 lakh hectare area in the state.

The maximum procurment was witnessed from Sangrur district where the government agencies have purchased 11.32 lt,  followed by Muktsar Sahib, (8.78 lt), Patiala (8.71 lt), Bathinda (8.35 lt), Ludhiana (8.04 lt), Ferozepur (7.82 lt), Tarn Taran (7.27 lt), Fazilka (7.05 lt), Amritsar (6.94 lt), Moga (6.88 lt), Gurdaspur (6.39 lt), Mansa (5.97 lt), and Jalandhar (5.11 lt).

In the remaining 10 districts, the government agencies purchased wheat crops between 63,751 tonnes and 4.37 lt.

The maximum grain was purchased by Pungrain (36.46 lt), followed by MARKFED (30.29 lt), PUNSUP (21 lt) and Warehouse (19.95 lt). The central agency Food Corporation of India (FCI) has purchased 4.08 lt wheat.

The entire procured crop from the state is contributed to the national pool.

The Punjab state’s contribution of grain for the national pool plays a crucial role when the  Government of India is implementing the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) which provides for coverage up to 75% of rural population and up to 50% of urban population for receiving free foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), thus covering about two-thirds of the total population which comes to 81.35 crore according to Census 2011.  Coverage under the Act is high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of society get its benefit. The Act is being implemented in all the states/UTs and against the intended coverage of 81.35 crore, 80.11 crore people are currently covered under the Act.