Coop wheat purchase jumps up by 35%

Lucknow: Wheat procurement in the cooperative sector has registered a jump of around 35% in the ongoing rabi marketing season, signalling a significant strengthening of govt-backed grain purchasing mechanisms and farmer participation in UP.

Data show that the cooperative department has procured 6.45 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, which is almost 44% of the total target of 14.55 lakh MT. The purchase, which began on Mar 30, will span till Jun 15.

This is in contrast to last year, when as against a much higher target of 35 LMT, the sector managed to purchase 4.77 LMT, which was only 13.45% of the overall goal.

The higher procurement of wheat this year comes despite the fewer procurement centres as compared to last year. This year, the department set up 3,799 centres as against last year’s 3,859.

The higher procurement by the cooperative sector this year, sources said, was essentially driven by a well-oiled coordinated strategy focusing on setting up procurement centres closer to the fields and deployment of mobile vans for purchasing directly from the farmers.

In states like UP, where small and marginal farmers often sell quickly to local traders because of logistical constraints, the doorstep-style procurement has significantly altered participation levels.

“The focus shifted from merely expanding physical infrastructure to improving accessibility and operational efficiency. This eased the process for the farmers,” said cooperative commissioner Yogesh Kumar. He said that the department scattered the procurement centres in the rural areas, making it easier for farmers to sell their produce.

Not surprisingly, the number of farmers benefiting from the procurement process has shot up from 105,708 to 133,576, an increase of around 26%. The jump in farmer participation, officials said, suggested that the procurement process became more farmer-friendly, likely aided by faster payments, better awareness and easier registration processes.

Data show that the maximum procurement of 24,949 MT wheat has been done by the cooperative department in Saharanpur with the help of 81 purchase centres. It is followed by Jhansi, where 2,248 MT of wheat has been procured through 49 centres. However, in Sitapur 20,888 MT of wheat was procured despite the setting up of 120 purchase centres.

Efficient procurement through cooperatives, experts said, sought to reduce dependence on private middlemen, eventually improving price realisation for farmers.