Government likely to procure over 151 lakh tonnes wheat this year

The procurement of wheat in marketing season 2007-08 is likely to be 151.5 lakh tonnes. This is based on the estimates given by the State Food Secretaries on February 12, 2007 during the meeting held to review arrangements for procurement of wheat in Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2007-08.

Since RMS 2007-08 will commence only after March 14, 2007, the procurement centres have not yet started working in the wheat procuring States. However, in the meeting held on February 12, 2007 the State Food Secretaries and Food Corporation of India assured that sufficient number of procurement centres would be opened in al districts in the States where there is marketable surplus of wheat.

Most of the procurement is likely to be in Punjab (75 LT), Haryana (45 LT), Uttar Pradesh (15 LT), Bihar (10 LT), Madhya Pradesh (3 LT), Rajasthan (2 LT), Uttarakhand (1 LT) and Gujarat (0.5 LT).

This information was given in the Rajya Sabha today by the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Dr. Akhilesh Prasad Singh in a written reply.

Source : Press Information Bureau

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