Haryana to produce 100 lakh tonne wheat

Chandigarh, Apr 10 (UNI) Haryana will produce around 100 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during the current season out of which 40 lakh tonnes is expected to arrive in various mandis of the state.

Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary (Food and Supplies) L S M Salins said that last year 37 lakh tonnes of wheat had arrived in the state mandis and there would be a considerable increase this year as the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat had been increased to Rs 1,000 per quintal.

He said there was an increase in the cultivated area by one lakh hectares in the state due to the substantial increase in the MSP of wheat.

He said 98 per cent of wheat which arrived in the state mandis were procured by the government agencies. Some of the government agencies involved in the procurement were Haryana Food and Supplies Department, HAFED, Haryana Agro Industries, Haryana Warehousing Corporation, CONFED and Food Corporation of India, he added.

Mr Salins said that 70 per cent of the total wheat which arrived in the mandis was procured by the Haryana Food and Supplies Department and HAFED and the remaining was procured by the other Government agencies.

He said the Food and Supplies Department was monitoring the wholesale and consumer prices of the wheat to keep a tab on price difference.

He said that steps were being taken for strengthening the Public Distribution System so that it could benefit more and more people.

UNI MA MP HT1938