Punjab to break the 105 lakh tonne wheat procurement record

Chandigarh, May 18 (UNI) The granary of India, Punjab is steadily inching towards the 105.79 lakh tonnes wheat procurement mark of 2001-02.

The government procurement agencies and the private traders had so far procured 103.46 lakh tonnes of wheat till yesterday evening, according to an official spokesman.

Out of the total wheat procured, 97.51 lakh tonnes is for the central pool and 2.94 lakh tonnes for the state pool. The remaining has been procured by the private traders.

Ferozepur district with 12,15,133 tonnes was leading in procurement operations followed by Sangrur district with 9,54,192 tonnes and Ludhiana district with 8,46,949 tonnes.

The Punjab Government and FCI have made a payment of more than Rs 11,316 crore to the farmers of the state for wheat procured upto May 15.

UNI HS BK1738