New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) The Union Government has raised its wheat procurement target at the minimum support price (MSP) by 15 per cent during the current season to 34.5 million tonnes, from 30 million tonnes planned earlier, to support farmers whose crops have been damaged due to unseasonal rains, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on Friday.

The state-wise procurement of wheat from Madhya Pradesh is now expected to be 10 million tonnes against an earlier 7.8 million tonnes, Uttar Pradesh 2.5 million tonnes as against an earlier estimated 1 million tonnes, Rajasthan 2.35 million tonnes as against an earlier estimated 2 million tonnes, Uttarakhand 5,000 tonnes as against an earlier estimated 1,000 tonnes, and also some wheat will be procured from Delhi this year, Chopra said at an event to release the annual wheat survey of the Roller Flour Millers’ Federation of India.

Chopra said that wheat procurement quality norms in almost all major growing states of Punjab, Haryana, MP, and Rajasthan have been eased to enable higher purchases from farmers and help them sell their produce after the unseasonal rain, which has adversely impacted crops.

He said this increased procurement at MSP will add to the opening wheat stocks of around 22 million tonnes for 2026-27. This is expected to take the actual availability of wheat close to 56.5 million tonnes.

Chopra also said that wheat production for the 2025-26 crop year is likely to be a little lower in the 110-120 million tonnes range due to crop damage from unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms in key growing states. The agriculture ministry earlier estimated the production at 120.21 million tonnes, up from 117.94 million tonnes in the previous year.

The Agriwatch Annual Wheat Survey for 2025-26 projected the all-India wheat production at 110.65 million tonnes, slightly above the 109.63 million tonnes produced in 2024-25, after factoring in recent weather damage.

–IANS

sps/uk