The government has said wheat procurement is estimated to rise 9.56 per cent at 427.36 lakh tonne during 2021-22 rabi marketing season on record production. Wheat is a major rabi (winter-sown) crop. Harvesting starts from end of this month but picks up pace from April. The Union Secretary, A total quantity of 427.363 lakh tonnes wheat has been estimated for procurement during the forthcoming RMS 2021-22 which is 9.56 per cent more than the 389.93 lakh tonnes procured during RMS 2020-21.
Wheat procurement in Punjab is estimated at 130 lakh tonnes, Madhya Pradesh 135 lakh tonnes, Haryana 80 lakh tonnes and Uttar Pradesh 55 lakh tonnes. Similarly, total 119.72 lakh tonnes of rabi rice has been estimated for procurement in the current KMS 2020-21, up 24.43 per cent from 96.21 lakh tonnes during KMS 2019-20. The procurement of kharif (summer-sown) rice is currently underway for KMS 2020-21.
Meanwhile, India's foodgrain production is estimated to rise 2 per cent in 2020-21 crop year to an all-time high of 3,033.4 lakh tonnes on better output of rice, wheat, pulses and coarse cereals due to good monsoon rains last year. In the 2019-20 crop year, the country's foograin output (comprising wheat, rice, pulses and coarse cereals) stood at a record 2,975 lakh tonnes. As per the data, rice production is pegged at record 1,203.2 lakh tonne as against 1,188.7 lakh tonnes in the previous year. Wheat production is estimated to rise to a record 1,092.4 lakh tonnes in 2020-21 from 1,078.6 lakh tonnes in the previous year.