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Uttar Pradesh, the country’s largest wheat producing state, has fallen short of its wheat purchase target this year as the agencies could purchase only 35.76 lakh tons of wheat against the set target to purchase 55 lakh tons.
Last year the government had purchased 37.04 lakh tons of wheat.
The wheat purchase this year was 65 per cent of the target against 67.35 per cent achieved last year. This happened despite four districts namely Shamli, Agra, Kasganj and Aligarh, recording over 100 per cent purchase. 
State Food Commissioner Manish Chauhan said here on Tuesday that the government paid Rs 6,558.66 crore to 6,63,364 farmers who sold wheat through 5,830 purchase centres.
He said of the total purchase, the government had delivered 33.74 lakh tons to Food Corporation of India (FCI).
“The top purchaser districts were Shamli (123 per cent of the target), Kasganj (107 per cent), Agra (107 per cent), Aligarh (106 per cent), Sitapur (96 per cent), Etah (91 per cent), Mathura (91 per cent) and Hathras (90 per cent).
Sources said due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, the procurement of wheat from the state mandis began on April 15 instead of April 1. Because of that the state government had extended the purchase deadline to June 30, instead of June 15.
Explaining the dip in procurement, the official said that since direct marketing was allowed and big purchasers were available, farmers had a better choice to sell their produce during the lockdown.