New Delhi, The government will buy 407 lakh tonnes of wheat directly from the farmers at MSP in the ongoing Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2020-21 for the central pool as the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution gave approval to the estimates of wheat and rice to be procured.

The Centre has fixed the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat for the crop season 2019-20 at Rs 1,925 per quintal.

Union Minister for Consumer Affair, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan, said in a tweet on Wednesday that the Centre has allowed the states to procure 407 lakh tonnes of wheat in RMS 2020-21 and 112.92 lakh tonnes of rice or paddy of rabi season in the Kharif Marketing Season 2019-20.

Wheat procurement has already started in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and other wheat producing states.

Punjab has set a target for 135 lakh tonnes of wheat to be procured out of its production estimate of 178 lakh tonnes in the current crop year 2019-20 (July-June), while the last date for closing the procurement of wheat in the state is May 31.

In Haryana, wheat is estimated to be procured this year at 95 lakh tonnes out of its production estimate of 128 lakh tonnes and procurement will continue till June 30, 2020.

Wheat procurement targets set by Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan this season are 100 lakh tonnes and 17 lakh tones, respectively, and procurement will end by June 30 in both the states.

Uttar Pradesh is the largest wheat producer in the country which estimates to produce 370 lakh tonnes this year. The state has set a target to procure 55 lakh tonnes of wheat directly from the farmers and procurement will go on till June 15.

Wheat production in Bihar, Gujarat, Uttrakhand and other states is estimated at 61.83 lakh tonnes, 40.37 lakh tonnes, 9.26 lakh tonnes and 5.64 lakh tones, respectively, while these states are estimated to procure it around 2 lakh tonnes, 50,000 tonnes, 2 lakh tonnes and 50,000 tonnes, respectively.

India is estimated to harvest 1,184.10 lakh tonnes of wheat this year while the centre has allowed the states to procure 407 lakh tonnes.

States like Odisha, West Bengal, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Assam and Karnatak have been allowed to procure rabi crop of rice or paddy at 112.92 lakh tonnes in the Kharif Marketing Season of 2019-20.

The Union Ministry of Consumer Affair, Food and Public Distribution said on Wednesday in a letter to the Principal Secretary or Secretary (Food) of the state governments, that on the basis of procurement proposals received from the state governments/FCl, approval of the Government of India is conveyed for estimates of procurement or procurement period for wheat procuring states during the ensuing RMS 2O2O-21.