Indian Express

Express India

Screen

Loksatta

Express Cricket

Kashmir Live

Biz Publications
 
Make this your homepage | RSS

Kerala to go for Rs 60-cr rice shopping in West Bengal

Bureaus

Posted: 2008-05-01 23:35:28+05:30 IST
Updated: May 01, 2008 at 2335 hrs IST

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 30: Stung by a 35% surge in the price of its staple rice grain in the last six months, the LDF government in Kerala has decided to go rice-shopping in West Bengal. The state government intends to continue its sourcing efforts in Andhra Pradesh too, where rice millers are stuck in Andhra Government”s rice levy cleft-stick.

As much as Rs 60 crore has been earmarked to purchase six lakh tonne of rice urgently from West Bengal. This will be continued to be sold through the state”s PDS outlets, like Supplyco, at the subsidised price of Rs 14 per kilo, Kerala chief minister VS Achuthanandan said.

The Kerala cabinet, which met on Wednesday, was concerned by the alarming fall in arrivals from the main rice-producing markets, against the shortfall in Kerala. Out of the 30 lakh tonne annual offtake, the state produces only six lakh tonne. In the current season, paddy production would have been up a tad through intensified policy efforts, but unexpected summer rains and poor post-harvest management put an end to the efforts. Worsening the crisis, the Centre had cut its PDS quota on APL by 80%.

A special session of the state cabinet would be held soon to work out a co-ordinated strategy to ensure food security, the chief minister said.

West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh are feasting a bumper paddy harvest, with the country”s overall rice production for 2007-2008 pegged at 9.56 crore tonne. In Kerala, however, the consumer preference is not for Bengal rice, but for Andhra “Jaya” rice variety. Although Andhra Pradesh”s rice production has been high, its supplies to other state”s are limited by its own subsidised rice distribution plans. The Andhra government had set a kharif season levy target of 8.94 tonne.

Discuss this story on expressindia forums

Post Comments

Comments: (Limit 3,000 characters)
Name
Message
Email ID
Subject
TERMS OF USE:
The views, opinions and comments posted are your, and are not endorsed by this website. You shall be solely responsible for the comment posted here. The website reserves the right to delete, reject, or otherwise remove any views, opinions and comments posted or part thereof. You shall ensure that the comment is not inflammatory, abusive, derogatory, defamatory &/or obscene, or contain pornographic matter and/or does not constitute hate mail, or violate privacy of any person (s) or breach confidentiality or otherwise is illegal, immoral or contrary to public policy. Nor should it contain anything infringing copyright &/or intellectual property rights of any person(s).
I agree to the terms of use.

Comments
Express Classifieds
Post and view free classifieds ad
Send Gifts
Flowers and Gifts
Express Astrology
Know what's in the stars for you