Govt to review restoration of PDS wheat supply after procurement ends

Time of India

01-05-2025

Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
The Centre will review the restoration of wheat entitlements under the Public Distribution System (PDS) after the ongoing procurement drive concludes, according to a top food ministry official.The agriculture ministry has projected a record wheat production of 115 million tonnes for the 2024-25 crop year (July-June). The Food Ministry is aiming to procure 31.2 million tonne.When asked if the government will fully restore wheat supply under PDS in view of bumper harvest, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Thursday said, "We will have to wait until the procurement is over. So far, 256 lakh tonnes of wheat have been purchased. We will get a clear picture after the procurement operation is over."In 2022, the government reduced wheat supply through PDS following a significant drop in procurement, substituting it with rice.These reductions continued through 2023 and into 2024. Partial restoration began in October 2024, with an additional allocation of 35 lakh tonnes until March 2025.The Secretary said the government has procured 256.31 lakh tonnes of wheat as of April 30, up 24.78 per cent from 205.41 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period last year.The government has set a target of 312 lakh tonnes for the 2025-26 rabi marketing season."Procurement has been smooth and good so far. We are hopeful of achieving close to the target of 312 lakh tonne," Chopra said.When asked about lifting the export ban on wheat, Chopra responded: "It is premature to talk about allowing wheat exports."Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), covering 80 crore people, each beneficiary is entitled to 5 kg of foodgrains monthly. The wheat-rice ratio in this allocation is determined based on government stocks.As on April 30, Punjab leads procurement with 103.89 lakh tonnes, followed by Madhya Pradesh (67.67 lakh tonnes), Haryana (65.67 lakh tonnes), Rajasthan (11.44 lakh tonnes) and Uttar Pradesh (7.55 lakh tonnes).The procurement drive has benefited 21.03 lakh farmers with MSP payments totaling Rs 62,155.96 crore.The Secretary highlighted initiatives undertaken to upgrade depots of Central Warehousing Corporation and Food Corporation of India (FCI) depots as smart warehouses The Depot Darpan portal and mobile application are envisaged to ensure that the food storage depots meet the highest quality and performance standards.