Supply of wheat and rice to APL families falling since 2006

Supply of wheat and rice through the public distribution system to above poverty line (APL) families declined in the last two years despite record procurement by the government.

Even the per capita availability of foodgrain fell in 2008-09.

According to data available with the food and agriculture ministry, the allocations of rice and wheat under the public distribution system (PDS) has been drastically cut to 38.77 million tonnes (MT) in 2008-09 from 57.65 MT in 2006-07.

During the period, allocation to those covered under the Antoday Anna Yojana (AAY) and below poverty line (BPL) categories remained unchanged but there was a substantial reduction in supply to those in the APL category.

The APL families received 30.28 MT of rice and wheat from the Centre in 2006-07 but it dwindled to less than half at 11.175 MT two years later.

However, Minister of State for Food K V Thomas recently told Parliament that the annual allocations under APL had been hiked to 17.2 MT for 2009-10.

Food Ministry officials said the allocation to BPL and AAY categories is made according to the entitlement of these families, but in the case of APL category, the allocation is subject to availability of foodgrain in the central pool.

The cut in allocation came despite record procurement by the government in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and a bumper crop.

According to government estimates, wheat production was 78.57 MT in 2007-08 and 80.58 MT in 2008-09.

Even in 2006-07, the wheat output was nearly 76 MT. The rice output was also a record 99.15 MT in 2008-09 and 96.7 MT in 2007-08.

Of the total produce, the government had bought 22.6 MT of wheat in 2008-09 (April-March) and 28.49 MT of rice in 2007-08 (October-September) season.

But despite record procurement, the per capita availability of foodgrain has fallen to 436.6 gram per day in 2008 from 445.3 gram in 2006.

The per capita availability of wheat and rice was 154.3 gram per day and 198 gram per day, respectively in 2006. But it has reduced to 145.1 gram per day in wheat and 175.4 gram per day in rice in 2008.