Punjab, Haryana wheat procurement 195L tonnes

CHANDIGARH: Wheat procurement of nearly 195 lakh tonnes has been made in food grain states Punjab and Haryana this season, food and supplies officials in both states said on Tuesday. In Punjab, the wheat procurement was nearly 116 lakh

tonnes till April 30 as compared to 110.24 tonnes procured in the same period last year. Over 115.23 lakh tonnes (99.6%) has been procured by government agencies. In Haryana, over 79 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured so far this season. A Punjab government spokesman said that ₹16,170.47 crore has been disbursed to the ‘arthiyas’ (commission agents) and farmers, which is 93% of the total due amount. Despite reports of wheat not been lifted in grain markets, the spokesperson claimed that over 75.36 lakh tonnes has been lifted from grain markets so far.