Procurement of wheat and paddy in quantity and value terms had risen significantly in the last eight years on account of a hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and purchases made from more States, a senior Food Ministry official said on Tuesday. The number of farmers covered under the MSP operations had also increased because of the higher quantity of wheat and paddy procurement by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the nodal agency for the procurement and distribution of foodgrains. 

“The central procurement of wheat and paddy has increased substantially between the 2013-14 and 2021-22 marketing seasons. The procurement has become broad-based and we are purchasing grains from more States now. MSP has increased significantly,” said Subodh Singh, the additional secretary in the Food Ministry. 

The procurement was taking place in Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura, he said, adding that the FCI had started buying paddy from Rajasthan.

Production of wheat and paddy has also risen since 2013-14. 

In the case of wheat, the procurement increased to 433.44 lakh tonnes in 2021-22 from 250.72 lakh tonnes in 2013-14. The value of wheat procured has increased to Rs 85,604 crore from Rs 33,847 crore.

Mr Singh highlighted that 49.2 lakh farmers growing wheat were benefitted in 2021-22 against 20.47 lakh farmers in 2016-17. The data on the number of farmers who benefitted prior to 2016-17 is not available.