The government’s wheat procurement for the 2025-26 marketing season has kicked off to a strong start, with over 3.1 million tonnes already purchased by government agencies as of 12 April. This marks a significant increase from the 1.7 million tonnes procured during the same period last year.
With a target of procuring 31.2 million tonnes of wheat this season, procurement operations have commenced in major wheat-producing states such as Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Bihar. Leading the procurement process is Madhya Pradesh, with 2.7 million tonnes already procured by 12 April, followed by Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
To incentivize farmers and achieve the procurement target, states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have announced bonus payments above the minimum support price. Punjab and Haryana, known as significant contributors to the central pool stock, are expected to ramp up procurement in the upcoming days.
In Punjab, where procurement began on 1 April, 2909 tonnes of wheat have been procured, with expectations of a surge post the Baisakhi festival. Haryana has also procured 15,204 tonnes of wheat by 12 April, with anticipations of increased arrivals in the near future.
The government aims to procure 31.2 million tonnes of wheat from key producing states like Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. This increase in procurement will not only support social welfare schemes but also help maintain a buffer stock to control price fluctuations.
Agriculture ministry data projects a record wheat production of 115.43 million tonnes during the 2024-25 rabi season, attributing the growth to favorable weather conditions. This increase in production is expected to have a positive impact on the agricultural sector.
