Hit Farmers
New Delhi, April 24, 2026: The Union Government has raised its wheat procurement target under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system by 15%, increasing the current season’s purchase plan from about 30 million tonnes to 34.5 million tonnes, in a major relief measure for farmers affected by unseasonal rain and hailstorms. Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said the higher procurement target is aimed at supporting cultivators whose wheat crop quality has been hit by sudden weather disruptions during the harvest period.
The decision comes at a sensitive moment for India’s wheat economy. The crop had initially been expected to touch a record level, with the Agriculture Ministry earlier estimating wheat output at 120.21 million tonnes, up from 117.94 million tonnes in the previous year. However, unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms in key wheat-growing regions have raised concerns over yield loss and grain quality. According to DD News, production for the 2025–26 crop year may now fall within the 110–120 million tonne range, while the Agriwatch Annual Wheat Survey has projected production at around 110.65 million tonnes after accounting for recent weather damage.
Under the revised procurement plan, the Centre has increased purchases from several major wheat-producing states. Madhya Pradesh’s procurement target has been raised from 7.8 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes, Uttar Pradesh’s from 1 million tonnes to 2.5 million tonnes, and Rajasthan’s from around 2 million tonnes to 2.35 million tonnes. Uttarakhand’s target has also been raised from 1,000 tonnes to 5,000 tonnes, while wheat procurement will also take place in Delhi this year.
The government has also eased wheat procurement quality norms in major growing states including Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. These relaxations are meant to ensure that farmers whose grain has suffered from lustre loss, shrinkage or breakage due to rain are still able to sell their produce at MSP instead of being forced into distress sales. Earlier relaxations allowed up to 70% lustre loss and raised the permissible limit for shrivelled and broken grains from 6% to 15% in affected areas.
The increased procurement is also expected to strengthen national food security. Chopra said the higher MSP purchases will be added to opening wheat stocks of around 22 million tonnes, taking total wheat availability close to 56.5 million tonnes. This gives the government a stronger buffer for the public distribution system, welfare schemes and market intervention if prices become volatile in the coming months.
The timing of the move is important because India has been trying to balance three priorities at once: protecting farmer incomes, keeping domestic prices stable and maintaining comfortable foodgrain stocks. On April 20, the government had also approved export of an additional 25 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, stating that production, stock availability and price trends had been reviewed before the decision. With the latest export approval, a total of 50 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and 10 lakh metric tonnes of wheat products have been permitted for export.
For farmers, the raised procurement target is more than a statistical revision. It means a larger government-backed buying window at MSP during a season when damaged grain could otherwise have faced lower private market prices. For the Centre, it is a calibrated response to a weather shock: absorb more wheat through official procurement, relax quality conditions where needed, protect cultivators from distress sales and maintain sufficient reserves for food security.
In effect, the government’s decision turns MSP procurement into a stabilising tool during a climate-hit harvest season. As erratic weather increasingly affects crop quality and market confidence, such interventions may become central to India’s agricultural risk-management strategy.
Sources:
https://ddnews.gov.in/en/centre-to-buy-more-wheat-at-msp-to-help-farmers-weather-freak-rain-shock
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2253906&lang=1®=3
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