The government’s wheat purchases have moved closer to the 2018-19 (Apr-Mar) target of 32 mln tn, with total procurement so far at 30.5 mln tn. At 30.5 mln tn, wheat procurement is 14.4% higher on year. Higher procurement has largely been attributed to an increase in the minimum support price this year. For the 2018-19 marketing year, the government is procuring wheat from farmers at the minimum support price of 1,735 rupees per 100 kg, up from 1,625 rupees last year. Procurement is higher year-on-year in all states, with Punjab and Haryana having breached their respective targets. In Punjab, the government has purchased 12.3 mln tn wheat so far, up from the target of 11.9 mln tn. In Haryana, 8.5 mln tn wheat has been purchased against the target of 7.4 mln tn.