Wheat procurement in state passes 1-lakh MT mark in April first week

“So far, wheat has been procured from 20,409 farmers, while more than 3.56 lakh farmers have registered for wheat sale. The procurement drive will continue until June 15,” the official said.

“The government took steps by reaching out to farmers through village-to-village visits before the harvest season, motivating them to sell their produce at government procurement centres. Improvements were made in the registration and verification systems, and for the first time, the Food and Civil Supplies Department introduced mobile procurement centres that reached farmers directly in the field. While harvesting is ongoing, wheat is being weighed and processed on-site for immediate procurement,” he further said.

The procurement centres, said the spokesperson, will remain open on holidays too

and the government had introduced a system where registered farmers can sell up to 100 quintals of wheat without the need for verification.

“After verification, farmers are allowed to sell up to three times their total production capacity, ensuring that they face no barriers due to verification errors or discrepancies in records. On the instructions of the Chief Minister, proper arrangements have been made at procurement centres, including seating, access to clean drinking water, and other necessary facilities. CM Yogi Adityanath has also directed officials to ensure that farmers receive their payments within 48 hours of selling their wheat,” the official said.

The registration for wheat procurement this year began on March 1.

It is mandatory for farmers to register or renew their registration on the Food and Civil Supplies Department’s official portal fcs.up.gov.in or via the department’s mobile app UP KISHAN MITRA to sell their produce, it is learnt.

The department has also advised the farmers to bring only cleaned and properly dried wheat—free from soil, pebbles, dust, and other impurities — to the procurement centres to avoid any hassle.

According to the Food and Civil Supplies Department, wheat is being procured daily from 8 am to 8 pm.

For assistance in case of any issues, the department has issued a toll-free number — 1800-1800-150. The farmers can also contact their district food marketing officer, the tehsil regional marketing officer or the block-level marketing officer for support.

For the rabi season 2025–26, the Central government has fixed the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat at Rs 2,425 per quintal, an increase of Rs 150 from last year’s rate of Rs 2,275 per quintal. To ensure seamless procurement, 5,780 procurement centres have been set up by eight purchasing agencies, including the Food and Civil Supplies Department. Payments to farmers are being made

directly into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts via the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), with a target of completion within 48 hours of procurement.

Between 2017–18 and 2024–25, the government claims to have procured 233.99 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and disbursed Rs 43,424.44 crore to 49.69 lakh farmers.