Punjab, Haryana procure 185 lakh tonne wheat

Chandigarh, May 14 (IANS) With a bumper crop, wheat procurement in food grain states Punjab and Haryana has reached 185 lakh tonne amid the ongoing lockdown in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said on Thursday.The wheat procurement in Punjab is almost double than its neighbouring Haryana.Sanjeev Kaushal, Additional Chief Secretary with the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Cooperation Department, said a total of 65.66 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured from 424,868 farmers in the state in the past 21 days.He said a total of 6.25 lakh tonnes of mustard has been procured till Wednesday. Also, 3114.13 tonnes of gram have been procured.Punjab, which contributes 30-35 per cent wheat to the national kitty, is expecting to harvest about 185 lakh tonnes and the market arrival is likely to be about 135 lakh tonnes, amounting Rs 26,000 crore, officials said.The minimum support price (MSP) of wheat is Rs 1,925.
--IANS vg/dpb