NewZNew (Chandigarh) : The Punjab Mandi Board has set up 1814 procurement centres for the procurement of wheat and if required, more such centres could also be established. Chairman Punjab Mandi Board Mr. Ajmer Singh Lakhowal said that the Punjab government had asked the Centre for movement of 68 lakh tonne of wheat stocked in the state to other states and Railway authorities had also been urged to provide more rakes.
The Chairman also said that the directions have been issued to all the Deputy Commissioners in the state to complete procurement arrangement. He asked to All District Officers should personally monitor the arrangement of lighting, drinking water facilities for the farmers for wheat crop session 2015-16.
Union Government has fixed wheat procurement target at 30.05 million tonnes during the marketing year starting April as against 28 million tonnes purchased by FCI during this year. The target was fixed in the meeting of State Food Secretaries held here to discuss procurement arrangements. It was chaired by the Food Secretary Sudhir Kumar, Food Ministry said in a statement.
Out of total wheat procurement target for the 2015-16 marketing year (April-March), Punjab aims to procure maximum wheat at 12 million tonnes, followed by Haryana at 7 million tonnes, Madhya Pradesh – 6 million tonnes, Uttar Pradesh – 3 million tonnes and Rajasthan- 1.8 million tonnes. Although wheat marketing year runs from April-March, the bulk of procurement is done in first three months.
