The intense winter this year might benefit wheat growers as the procurement of wheat is likely to be scaled up this year by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Sources in the FCI said a meeting of state Food Secretaries had been convened on February 16 to prepare estimates of wheat procurement during kharif season 2014-15.
The sources confirmed the estimate would be higher than last year’s procurement due to favorable weather condition. For 2013-14, procurement stood at 28 million tonnes (mt), against the estimated 31 mt, while sowing was 31.2 million hectares. With no major change expected in sowing this year, the projected higher production is attributed to higher yields.
Paddy procurement, estimated at 30 mt for the 2014 kharif season, is likely to meet the target. Till January 26, procurement was 26.4 mt, against 27.1 mt in the year-ago period. The procurement is on in states of Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Tamil Nadu and Chattisgarh.