Wheat procurement for the central pool in India has seen a significant decline of 69%, falling to 1.53 million tonnes during the first fortnight of the 2026-27 season compared to the same period last year. This drop is attributed to quality issues, with reports indicating that 20% of the wheat arriving in mandis from Punjab and Haryana consists of shriveled and broken grains. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) typically accepts wheat with only 6% shriveled grains, leading to thousands of farmers being left without sales for days. In response, farmers' organizations, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, are planning a four-hour rail blockade across Punjab on April 17 to demand relaxed procurement quality standards. The Punjab government is hesitant to make large-scale purchases due to fears of being left with unsold stocks if the FCI rejects the poor quality grains. Meanwhile, the FCI has set a procurement target of over 30 million tonnes for the ongoing season, with wheat being procured at a minimum support price of ₹2,585 per quintal.