In Chandigarh, Punjab’s ministerial task force on Wednesday dissected preparations for what promises to be a massive 2026-27 wheat procurement campaign. Ministers Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Lal Chand Kataruachak, Barinder Kumar Goyal, and Laljit Singh Bhullar left no stone unturned, focusing on capacity, efficiency, and fairness.
The April 1 launch will see 132 LMT procured at Rs 2,585 per quintal MSP, reinforcing the state’s agricultural backbone.
Storage bottlenecks dominated talks: FCI’s 5 LMT monthly wheat/rice lifts since August 2025 fall short; 15 LMT wheat/month is the new benchmark. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s repeated Centre appeals underscore the stakes.
Adaptive strategies feature plinth development, rice mill repurposing, routine district audits, and DFSC-FCI contingency collaborations.
Supplies are locked in—391,320 plastic crates (231,055 ready, rest imminent), 675,000 wooden units en route, tarpaulins plentiful. Arthiya commission demands (Rs 45 to 64/quintal) are being aggressively pushed nationally.
Affirming dedication to transparent, stakeholder-centric operations, the GoM’s directives pave the way for disruption-free success, safeguarding farmer incomes and food supply chains.