New Delhi: The Government of India has disbursed more than Rs. 62,155 crore to over 21 lakh wheat farmers as part of the ongoing rabi marketing season, with procurement operations progressing steadily across key wheat-producing states, according to an official release issued Thursday.
As of April 30, a total of 256.3 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat has been procured at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), marking a 24.78% increase compared to the same period last year, when procurement stood at 205.41 LMT.
Punjab has emerged as the top contributor with 103.89 LMT of wheat purchased, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 67.57 LMT, and Haryana with 65.67 LMT.
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh followed with 11.44 LMT and 7.55 LMT, respectively.
The Centre has set an overall procurement target of 312 LMT for the 2024-25 rabi season.
With several weeks still remaining in the procurement calendar, officials are optimistic about surpassing last year’s total, significantly boosting the central grain reserves.
The Department of Food and Public Distribution attributed the robust procurement performance to early planning and improved coordination with states.
Detailed, state-specific action plans were shared in advance, building on insights from previous seasons.
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These plans included measures to raise farmer awareness, streamline registrations, ensure operational readiness at procurement centres, and expedite MSP payments.
“In most cases, farmers received their MSP payments within 24 to 48 hours,” the ministry noted.
Other supportive steps included imposing stock limits via the wheat stock portal, relaxing Fair Average Quality (FAQ) norms when necessary, and deploying field officers to monitor operations in real time to avoid disruptions.
