While the government battles wheat woes, paddy procurement for the central pool will fall short by 11 lakh tonne against the target for the 2006-07 marketing season ending September 30. Food Corporation of India (FCI) had procured 252 lakh tonne of the grain, with another 7 lakhtonne in transit as on Friday.

A total of 259 lakh tonne will fall short of the 270 lakh tonne target fixed for paddy procurement this marketing season. This,however, should not be a concern, as there would be enough stock left with the FCI to comfortably meet the buffer norm of 51 lakh tonne forOctober 1.

The FCI had 67 lakh tonne of the grain in reserves as on last Friday, . With another 7 lakh tonne due to arrive, the total stocks with the corporation would be 74 lakh tonne. The monthly offtake of the grain is 20 lakh tonne, which would leave 54 lakh tonne in the central pool after the September offtake, which is 3 lakh tonne above the buffer norm.

?As far as paddy is concerned, we are in a very comfortable position. There is enough the buffer norm would be met comfortably,? said Alok Sinha, CMD, FCI.

The procurement target for the marketing season 2007-08, starting October 1, has been fixed at 276 lakh tonne. The corporation is expecting to achieve the target for the season on account of market dynamics and an increased kharif rice acreage.

As on September 21, the total coverage of kharif rice was 363.15 lakh ha up from 361.65 lakh hectare on the same date last year. ?We have made all preparations for the procurement season. Officers have been stationed at the FCI godowns, gunny bags have been arranged for and all is in readiness. In case certain states ask for an early start to the procurement season on account of early grain arrival, we would be able to start operations,? Sinha informed.

The agriculture ministry has estimated a rice production for 2007-08 to be 930 lakh tonne, 800 lakh tonne during kharif and 130 lakh tonne during rabi.

However, this figure is not much different from the rice production in 2006-07, which was 927.6 lakh tonne as per the fourth advance estimates.