3.3 mn tonnes of wheat procured in Haryana

Submitted by Tarique Anwar on 8 June 2007 - 7:22pm.

By IANS

Chandigarh : Government agencies in Haryana have procured 3.3 million tonnes of wheat so far in this season against 1.1 million tonnes last year.


This accounts for 90 percent of the wheat arrivals in grain markets across the state this year, Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan, who is also the food and supplies minister, said here Friday.

He said that over 3.7 million tonnes of wheat arrivals had been recorded in Haryana's grain markets of which private traders had procured only 10 percent.

Among the agencies, the state government-owned Hafed had procured 1.28 million tonnes while the central government's Food Corporation of India (FCI) procured 349,000 tonnes.

Mohan said that Sirsa district topped the chart with arrival of over 669,000 tonnes of wheat, followed by Fatehabad (509,000 tonnes), Jind (450,000 tonnes), Kaithal (445,000 tonnes) and Karnal (440,000 tonnes).

He urged farmers to bring more wheat stocks to grain markets to beat the June 15 deadline for procurement by government agencies at the enhanced minimum support price of Rs.750 plus Rs.100 as bonus for per quintal of wheat.

Punjab and Haryana contribute over 50 percent of the total foodgrains to the central government's kitty for the country's buffer stock.