New Delhi/Chandigarh, Apr 18 (PTI) Wheat procurement across the country has declined by 69 per cent so far this year at 38.38 lakh tonnes as arrivals have not yet picked up in the major producing states of Punjab and Haryana.
Food Corporation of India (FCI) had procured 123.62 lakh tonnes of the staple foodgrain in the year-ago period, according to the latest FCI data. Punjab and Haryana had contributed 73.53 per cent of the total procurement in the previous year.
Procurement in major producing states of Haryana and Punjab, which generally starts from April 1 and picks up from April 15, had been very low till yesterday because of less arrival of crop in the markets due to delay in harvesting.
Punjab, which had procured the maximum 102 lakh tonnes of wheat last year, has purchased 6.02 lakh tonnes so far as compared to 55.