Punjab has witnessed highest wheat production this year in the last six years. (Express Photo/Jasbir Malhi/File) Punjab has witnessed highest wheat production this year in the last six years. (Express Photo/Jasbir Malhi/File)

Punjab has witnessed highest wheat production this year in the last six years. The state has also crossed the procurement target fixed for it by Centre by contributing more than 38 per cent of the total procurement target of wheat across the country for the year 2017-18. The procurement is still on in state.

The state and government agencies have purchased 122.13 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) wheat from Punjab’s mandies till May 7 while Centre had fixed a target of 119 LMT for Punjab out of the total target of 320 LMT across the country.

The total production of wheat in Punjab is set to reach around 186 LMT against 176 LMT last year. As the entire crop does not come to mandies because farmers also keep if for self consumption, seed purpose and to sell the private players directly instead bringing to grain market.

Punjab dedicates around 35 lakh hectares to wheat crop in state.

Food Corporation of India officials informed that 320 LMT wheat procurement target was finalised in this Rabbi season against as 308.4 LMT last year.

For Punjab the target of procurement was 119 LMT, which was around 37 per cent of the total target, but Punjab had already contributed about 38 per cent to national pool. Punjab is expecting to reach close to 125 LMT though the amount of wheat arrival has slowed down for now.

Officials and farmers both expressed happiness over this record procurement. It was in 2012 when Punjab had had witnessed the highest contribution for national pool with 129 LMT.

Out of total 22 district till date, around 10 districts have recorded around six per cent more yield as compared to last year. Out of the total arrival, nearly 80 per cent lifting has been done from the mandies.

“Good weather led to around six per cent more yield this year,” said Punjab Aartiya Association President Ravinder Singh Cheema.

Director, Punjab Agriculture Department, Dr Jasbir Singh Bains, said that that though they have already crossed last year’s procurement record but still the procurement is going on and they may reach close to 125 LMT because the procurement is still not over. He said that in Punjab farmers are growing high yield varieties but inclement weather used to mar the prospectus of high yield during previous years.

This year, harvesting was also on time and farmers got Rs 1735 MSP per quintal for wheat.

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