Anticipating a bumper paddy crop, the government?s kharif rice procurement drive has picked up pace in the last
few weeks.
The latest data from Food Corporation of India (FCI) say the government has lifted 12.46 million tonne (mt) of rice till date for the season against 12 mt of purchase reported during same period last year. Most of the purchase was from Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. Since October 1, when rice procurement started for 2011-12, FCI and state government-owned agencies have picked up 7.6 mt from Punjab, 1.9 mt from Haryana and 2.61 mt from Tamil Nadu.
Other key contributors to the central pool have been Chhattisgarh?7.93 lakh tonne, Andhra Pradesh ?7.43 lakh tonne and Uttar Pradesh ? 7 lakh tonne.
Meanwhile, rice procurement by Primary Agriculture Cooperatives, FCI and State Farms Cooperation of India commenced their drive in Bihar beginning December 9. The state government aims procuring more than 1.8 mt of rice from farmers by April next year.
With rice-lifting set to start soon in Orissa and West Bengal, the government is confident of meeting this year?s (2011-12) record target of 35.31 mt. ?We do not have any apprehensions over rice procurement this year, and we will meet the target comfortably,? food minister KV Thomas told FE.
The FCI has been procuring paddy (common) at R1,000 per quintal and paddy (Grade A) at R1,030 per quintal. If the government achieves record rice procurement target this year, it would help the government in the implementation of National Food Security Act, which envisages expanding the base of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
As on December 1, total rice stocks at the central pool, which includes stocks, with FCI and state-owned agencies was more than 27 mt, far above strategic reserve of 2 mt and buffer stocks norm of 5.2 mt. The government needs around 1 mt of rice every month for distribution under TPDS. Thanks to bumper kharif and rabi crop, India achieved a record food production of 241.6 mt in 2010-11. FCI and other state-owned agencies buy rice at a minimum support price from farmers and distribute the commodity under the TPDS .