Govt may allow Punjab to export wheat

Sources said that the Punjab CM had pointed out that whenever there is an acute shortage of the food grains in the country,Punjab was always ready to help the nation in such situation. “On the contrary,whenever there was surplus food production as of now in the case of wheat,Centre paid no heed to state requests,which tantamount to its sheer discrimination against Punjab” said Badal.

The Empowered Group of Ministers is expected to meet next week to take a final call in view of good wheat production this year. Government agencies have already procured over 31.8 million tonnes of wheat against an estimate of 23.7 million tones which is more than 25 per cent more than last year. Punjab has so far procured 12.6 million tonnes of wheat and Haryana 8.4 million tonnes.

In Punjab,the government agencies and private millers had by far procured more than 1,26,41,828 tonnes of wheat till last evening through more than 1750 procurement centers. Out of total procurement of 12641828 tonnes of wheat in all the procurement centers of Punjab,Government agencies had procured 12544195 tonnes of wheat till date whereas private traders procured 2141 tonnes of wheat. The PUNSUP had procured 2854155 tonnes (22.58%),MARKFED procured 2775422 tonnes (21.95%). whereas PUNGRAIN had procured 2150224 tonnes (17.01%) PSWC procured 1444139 tonnes (11.42%) whereas PAIC was able to procure 1424711 tonnes (11.27 %) of wheat. The Central Government agency FCI had been able to procure 1895544 tonnes (14.99%).

Over 84.25 lakh metric tonnes of wheat was so far purchased by six government procuring agencies in Haryana this season. Of this 465 metric tonnes of wheat were purchased by the traders while remaining procured by six government agencies.

Nearly 23.46 lakh metric tonnes of wheat were purchased by Food and Supplies Department and over 29.95 lakh metric tones by HAFED.

The CONFED had so far purchased 5.16 lakh metric tonnes of wheat,Haryana Warehousing Corporation 7.88 lakh metric tonnes,Haryana Agro Industries Corporation 8.07 lakh metric tonnes while Food Corporation of India procured over 9.46 lakh metric tonnes of wheat.

By June,the government would have procured 75 million tonnes of grains as against the country’s total storage capacity of 63 million tonnes. Thus,the need for allowing exports.