Food grain states Punjab and Haryana have procured over 200 lakh tonnes of wheat this season, food and supplies officials in both states said on Thursday.
In Punjab, the wheat procurement was over 118.56 lakh tonnes as compared to 112 lakh tonnes procured in the same period last year. Over 118.08 lakh tonnes (99.6 percent) has been procured by government agencies.
In Haryana, nearly 81.5 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured so far this season.
A Punjab government spokesman said that an amount of Rs 16,170 crore has been disbursed to the arhtiyas (commission agents) and farmers.
Despite reports of wheat not been lifted in grain markets, Punjab Food and Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said on Thursday that 83 lakh tonnes has been lifted from the grain markets so far.
Government procurement agencies have procured over 81.49 lakh tonnes of wheat from farmers in Haryana, an official spokesman said.
The procurement is higher than the corresponding period last year. State procurement agencies had procured 74.25 lakh tonnes wheat in the same period last year.
Procurement in both states started on April 1.
--IANS
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