HIMACHAL BUYS RECORD 10,065MT OF WHEAT

DHARAMSHALA : The Himachal Pradesh government has already procured a record 10,065 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat during the Rabi marketing season (RMS), 2021-22, since it started on April 15 through Food Corporation of India (FCI) and local traders.

This is the highest ever procurement of wheat in the state with a little less than a month to go before the procurement season ends. State agriculture minister Virender Kanwar said the state government has set a target of procuring 12,500 MT of wheat for the FCI. “As on May 31, a total of 10,065 MT of wheat has been procured as against last year’s 3,129 MT, which is 3.2 times higher, he said. The minister said eight procurement centres had been set up in five major wheat-growing districts.

These centres were opened at Paonta Sahib and Kala Amb in Sirmour district; Haroli and Takarala in Una district; Fatehpur and Thakurdwara in Kangra district; Patta Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district and Nalagarh in Solan district.

Kanwar said: “So far, 30,520 quintals in Una district; 29,839 quintals of wheat have been procured in Sirmour district; 27,270.50 quintals in Kangra district; 427.50 quintals in Bilaspur; and 12599.50 quintals in Solan district. State-owned FCI is the nodal agency for procurement and distribution of foodgrains in Himachal Pradesh. Local traders also purchase the crop.

The bulk of the procurement that starts in April gets completed by June-end.