Govt to lift 51.8 mn tonnes rice in 2022-23, double coarse cereal purchases

Rice procurement a tad higher than 50.98 mn tonnes in 2021-22; market sources say this could be a sign that govt does not expect a major drop in Kharif rice output

The Central government has fixed a target to procure 51.8 million tonnes of rice during the forthcoming 2022-23 procurement season that starts in October, slightly more than the 50.98 million tonnes procured during the current season (2021-22).

According to an official statement, in addition to higher procurement of rice, the Centre also plans to lift 1.30 million tonnes of coarse cereals from farmers next year, which is 117.4 per cent higher than the quantity purchased so far in the current year.

The decision to procure more rice in the 2022-23 season was taken at a high-level meeting of the Central