Wheat procurement may slow down for a brief period after many parts of north India received unseasonal rains and hailstorm, wetting the grains lying on the field. The farmers will now have to wait to dry the crop before selling it to the government. They have to wait so that moisture content in the grain comes down. Even if the grain is covered with plastic sheets, moisture content will be definitely higher in some of it. A severe dust storm, followed by thunder showers, hit parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Agra and Mathura, and Rajasthan on May 2, killing over 70 people and leaving a trail of destruction. Centre has set a target to procure 32 million tonne wheat in 2018-19 rabi marketing season (April-March). The official purchase has increased 12.5% to 28.2 million tonne as of May 3 compared with 25.07 million tonne in the corresponding period last year.