Punjab, Haryana wheat procurement nearly 208.5 lakh tonnes

Chandigarh May 9 (IANS) Making it another bumper Rabi crop food grain states Punjab and Haryana have procured over 208.5 lakh tonnes of wheat this season officials in both states said on Wednesday.

In Punjab the wheat procurement was nearly 123.5 lakh tonnes as compared to nearly 117 lakh tonnes procured in the same period last year. Over 99 per cent of the wheat has been procured by government agencies.

"Payment of more than Rs 17 767 crore has been released to the farmers through the commission agents ( arhtiyas ) " a Food and Supplies Department spokesman said here.

Officials said that out of the wheat procured nearly 109 lakh tonnes have been lifted from grain markets for storage.

In Haryana over 85 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured so far this season. The procurement is higher than the entire procurement done last year when 74.25 lakh tonnes wheat was procured.

Procurement of wheat in both states started on April 1.

--IANS
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