 "Chhattisgarh govt deposits 2.84 million tonnes of rice in central pool")
The Chhattisgarh government has deposited 2.84 million tonnes (mt) of rice in the central pool for the kharif marketing season (KMS) 2022-23.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has set a target of purchasing 5.86 mt of rice from the state for the central pool. Chhattisgarh will be the second highest contributor of rice, after Punjab in the kharif season. The FCI will procure 12.2 mt of rice from Punjab.
“So far, 4.71 mt of rice has been deposited in the central pool,” said a state government spokesperson. Of that, 2.84 mt has been deposited with the FCI and 1.86 mt with the Civil Supplies Corporation. The latter has been using the stock for welfare schemes, including allocation for the Public Distribution System, and distributing the grain at subsidised prices.
State government officials said, due to the efficient management there has been 100 per cent offtake of paddy procured from farmers on support price for custom milling. Depositing custom milled rice (CMR) in the central pool is also taking place at a fast pace, they added. The state was given a target of depositing 6.52 mt of rice in the last marketing season.
CMR is manufactured by milling paddy procured by state governments and the FCI. Many states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar procure paddy through agencies and the resultant rice is delivered to the state governments and the FCI by getting the paddy milled from rice millers.
In Chhattisgarh, the state government has made a record procurement of paddy by purchasing 10.7 mt from registered farmers at minimum support price (MSP). In the state, 2.34 million farmers have sold their paddy at the support price. The Chhattisgarh government has spent Rs 220.67 billion for procuring paddy at MSP.
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According to officials, milling the procured rice has also been a challenge that the government has successfully handled. “The decision of the state government to give incentives to millers for custom milling at Rs 120 per quintal has also led to a surge,” they added.
For the KMS 2022-23, 249 new millers have been registered for custom milling. It has been a boon for the state government as new mills generate job opportunities for the people, thus strengthening the rural economy.