National   

Wheat procurement in Punjab, Haryana from April 1

CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana are all set to start the next procurement season for wheat from April 1, with central agency FCI and state agencies expecting to lift a total 125 lakh metric tons of the grain during the rabi marketing season 2008-09.

The minimum support price (MSP) for wheat is now Rs 1,000 per quintal. The Reserve Bank has sanctioned the credit limit of Rs 8,013 crore for Punjab this season, while Haryana has sent a proposal for Rs 2,696 crore in order to pay the growers, official said. Punjab and Haryana are expecting increase in arrival of wheat in mandis this year at 105 lakh MT and 45 lakh MT respectively.

However, FCI last month, had expressed concern over the dwindling arrival of wheat in both States. It is perceived that farmers might sell crop directly to other States after ‘avoiding’ conventional route of bringing their crop in the markets.

The Punjab government has notified 1,600 mandis for the procurement, while Haryana has approved 362 markets sheds in the entire State for lifting wheat, which will commence from April 1, an official of Food and Supplies Department said.

Punjab is expecting to procure 85 lakh MT of wheat during this season, the State has set different targets for various procurement agencies.

According to a senior official of Punjab Food and Supplies Department, Pungrain, Markfed and Punsup would procure 22 per cent each while Punjab Warehousing, Punjab Agro and Food Corporation of India (FCI) would buy 13, 10 and 11 per cent respectively of total expected procurement.

Haryana is also hoping to lift over 40 lakh MT of wheat from the State with procurement agencies such as Hafed, Confed, Haryana Warehousing, Haryana Agro, Food and Supplies and FCI targeting to lift 35, 9, 9, 9, 28 and 10 per cent of total procurement respectively in the season. - PTI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Goa’s promise to envoy
Police investigation into Scarlette’s case misleading, says NCW
Growing confidence in evidence-based medicine
Survey: Delhi tops the list of best e-governed State in 2007
In safe hands
Private partnership in education welcomed
Uttarakhand to restrict tourist flow to Gangotri glacier
Major bureaucratic reshuffle in Bihar
Wheat procurement in Punjab, Haryana from April 1
First World Punjabi Conference begins
Bhattal advises Amarinder to work for Congress
Vulnerability of women domestic workers discussed
Ansari attends valedictory function
Show of strength
Canadian film steals the show in Jaipur
Era Infra JV bags DMRC order
IDSA decision angers JNU students
Dhumal Govt. accused of witch-hunting
SGPC objects to auctioning of relic
Haryana covers 12 districts under polio campaign
Shimla to impose water rationing
Dhumal invites Hema to open dance school
U.S. delegate backs CPI(M) stand on the civilian nuclear agreement
Meet discusses communalism
Back to basics if IPL venture fails: Shah Rukh
Attack on Trinamool leader condemned
Teesta Stage-V hydroelectric project commissioned
Multi-role Transport Aircraft venture not affected: HAL
“Pollution level in Ganga reaches septic levels”
Postmen roped in for AIDs awareness campaign
Security of Dera chief enhanced
AIFB reverses decision to contest polls on its own
NDA’s decision on Tibet an error, says Fernandes
“Disqualify MLAs”
Congress MLAs upset over ticket distribution
Himachal to launch NREGS in districts
CPI(M) for more financial powers for States

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu