Wheat Procurement Norms Relaxed: Lustre Loss Up to 70%
Why in the news
After erratic weather hurt standing crops, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced softer quality tests for wheat bought at the Minimum Support Price, so farmers are not turned away over fair average quality (FAQ) rules.
New procurement criteria
| Parameter | Revised norm |
|---|---|
| Lustre loss (surface shine or colour) | Accepted up to 70% |
| Shrivelled and broken grains | Limit raised from 6% to 15% |
| Broken plus slightly broken grains | Not above 6% within that limit, to keep grain fit for milling |
Storage and logistics
- Relaxed-norm wheat goes into separate godowns, apart from regular stock.
- Reason: protects the quality of the national buffer stock and lets this wheat be issued first, for example through the PDS, before its shelf life shrinks.
Key concepts
- Lustre loss: loss of natural grain shine; rain at harvest turns grain dull or blackened. Nutrition is often intact but the flour’s eye-appeal suffers.
- Shrivelled grains: under-developed grains, smaller and lighter, caused by heat stress, moisture shortage or excessive rain at ripening.
- Why segregate: shrivelled and broken grains are more prone to pests and fungus, so separate stocks can be watched closely and used first.
Exam angle
- Numbers: 70% lustre loss, 6% to 15% shrivelled and broken, 6% cap on broken.
- Terms: MSP, FAQ, buffer stock, PDS.