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“UP, Bihar, and Rajasthan have been contributing a lot lower than they may have. We’re concentrating on whole wheat procurement of 310 lakh tonne this 12 months. Of which, we hope to acquire at the least 50 lakh tonne from three non-traditional procurement states alone,” he stated.
Whereas Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar put collectively contributed solely 6.7 lakh tonnes to the central pool in the course of the 2023-24 advertising and marketing 12 months (April-March), the Union Meals Ministry has determined to acquire 16 per cent of the whole wheat procurement goal of 310 lakh tonne set for 2024-25.
Wheat procurement at minimal assist value (MSP) is generally undertaken by the Centre’s nodal company Meals Company of India (FCI) and state companies. Nonetheless, cooperatives Nafed and NCCF have additionally been roped in with a procurement goal of 5 lakh every this 12 months.
Wheat MSP has been mounted at Rs 2,275 per quintal for the present 12 months.
Since October, the Centre has been working with these three states to extend the procurement degree. Varied steps have been taken to handle the gaps and it ought to assist increase procurement ranges in three states, he stated. Asserting that 2024 common elections is unlikely to have an effect on wheat procurement operations, the Secretary stated the rise in wheat procurement from non-traditional states will assist restore allocation of wheat beneath the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and different welfare schemes. The allocation of wheat has been decreased to 184 lakh tonnes yearly from the earlier 230-240 lakh tonnes beneath varied welfare schemes in view of decrease procurement within the final two years, he added.
Chopra additionally stated the Centre has not directed merchants to keep away from shopping for wheat from farmers until the authorities completes procurement.
“No such instruction has been given to merchants,” he added.
Highlighting steps taken to strengthen wheat procurement in non-traditional states, the secretary stated the procurement window has been superior/prolonged to March as a substitute of April 1, arrange a devoted farmer helpline to handle procurement-related queries, intensified media publicity of MSP charge, and drying services have been supplied for early harvested crop.
Apart from, the federal government has superior farmer registration from January 1 as a substitute of March 1, simplified farmers’ land report verification, together with tenant farmers, given versatile procurement targets to companies.
Extra importantly, the secretary stated the federal government has determined to make sure switch of MSP to financial institution accounts of farmers inside 48 hours, streamlined procurement incidental burden for farmers, smoothened banking-related points corresponding to Aadhaar integration with financial institution accounts.
The federal government has additionally opened extra procurement centres concentrating on manufacturing hotspots, arrange cellular procurement centres, determine to leverage Self Assist Teams, Panchayats, Farmer Producer Organisations, he stated.
That aside, the federal government has ensured institutional preparedness by means of working capital to companies to make sure fee of MSP to farmers inside 48 hours, he added.
The secretary additional talked about {that a} central management room has been arrange within the FCI headquarters in Delhi for real-time monitoring of procurement advert coordination amongst varied companies.
In accordance with the meals ministry, six lakh tonnes of wheat have already been procured to date this 12 months from six states — Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar. The procurement from conventional states of Punjab and Haryana will start quickly.
On costs of wheat and rice, the Secretary stated wheat flour and wheat costs are steady at current after introduction of retail sale of wheat flour at ‘Bharat’ model. About 7.06 lakh tonne of wheat flour has been bought until now.
Even retail inflation of rice remained steady at 13 per cent and 14 per cent for the final two months. About 3.1 lakh tonne of FCI rice has been bought beneath Bharat model since February, he added.
Requested if the government will revisit the wheat export ban amid estimates of upper manufacturing, the secretary stated, “It is a dream for us to export now.”
The federal government has banned wheat exports since Could 2022 to spice up home availability and verify costs.
The wheat manufacturing is estimated to be a report 112 million tonne throughout 2023-24, in comparison with final 12 months’s 110 million tonnes as per the agriculture ministry.
