Food Corp begins wheat purchases from Gujarat

Sunday, 23 March 2008, 19:30 IST
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Rajkot: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has begun procuring wheat from Rajkot agriculture market yard from Friday at the rate of 200 per 20-kg, market sources said. The central government has declared 200 per 20-kg or 1,000 per quintal as the support price for wheat for this season. The market yards authorities have asked the farmers to desist from selling their produce to traders if they are offered price lower than 200 per 20-kg. FCI also plans to purchase wheat from Lodhika Kharid-Vechan Sangh, a farmers co-operative operating in Rajkot district. "Nearly 20,000 bags of wheat are brought daily at Rajkot yard by farmers these days," said V.B. Ramani, secretary of Rajkot market yard. Average quality of wheat at Rajkot is quoted at price between 195 and 225 per 20-kg. FCI's appeal to farmers was a sequel to reports that farmers had sold wheat at 190 per 20-kg. The Gujarat government has identified food grain as the thrust area and projected a good wheat crop during the Rabi season 2007-08. The sowing began in November 2007. However, because of the increased area under wheat, the area under rapeseed is likely to fall this season in the state. The area under wheat went up to 1.25 million hectares in Gujarat against the 2006-07 Rabi season area of 1.2 million hectares. On an average, the state's normal area under wheat cultivation is 544,000 hectares.
Source: IANS