Centre Raises Wheat Procurement Target to 34.5 Million Tonnes Amid Erratic Weather

The Centre has raised its wheat procurement target for the 2026-27 marketing season from 30.33 million tonnes to 34.5 million tonnes, the Food and Public Distribution Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on Friday. The decision follows crop damage from unseasonal rains and higher offtake demand from states.

State-wise targets have been revised upward — Madhya Pradesh from 7.8 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes, Uttar Pradesh from 1 million tonnes to 2.5 million tonnes, and Rajasthan from 2.1 million tonnes to 2.35 million tonnes. The Bihar target has also been increased. The Centre has resumed wheat procurement in Delhi after more than five years following a request from the state government, with procurement focused on areas such as Najafgarh and Narela.

To address damage from unseasonal rains in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, the food ministry relaxed quality norms — the permissible limit for shrivelled and broken grains was raised from 6% to 15%, with up to 70% lustre loss allowed. The government has also introduced QR-code-enabled gunny bags for wheat and paddy procurement, allowing authorities to track grain movement from mandis to storage and onward distribution channels and curbing leakages in the public distribution system (PDS).

Official estimates project wheat output at a record 120.21 million tonnes for the 2026-27 rabi marketing season, up about 2.26 million tonnes over last year, but these projections were finalised before unseasonal rains affected crops. An independent survey by the Roller Flour Millers' Federation of India estimates a lower production figure, citing widespread damage.

Exam angle: This is a key government schemes / agriculture topic. Remember the revised total target (34.5 mt), the major contributing states, the QR-code traceability initiative, the relaxation in quality norms, and how procurement supports both buffer stocks and welfare schemes.