The Food Corporation of India (FCI) aims to procure a record 35.30 million tonnes (mt) of rice in 2011-12 on expectations of a bumper crop. During the previous financial year (2010-11), it had procured 32.70 mt of rice. The procurement data include those by FCI, state agencies (which procure for central pool) and levy rice (procured by millers).
A senior FCI official said the procurement target for 2011-12 had been kept on the higher side in view of high production estimates. The agriculture ministry is expecting a record 102 mt rice production in the 2011-12 crop year, against 95.32 mt last year. If the food ministry achieves the procurement target, this would help the government meet the requirement under the proposed National Food Security Act.
As far as the current procurement season is concerned, till yesterday, FCI and state agencies had procured 3.52 mt of paddy, out of the total arrival of 3.78 mt. Last year, during the same period, FCI and state agencies had procured 3.35 mt of paddy, out of the total arrival of 3.53 mt.
The current procurement is being dominated by Punjab, which has contributed almost 60-65 per cent to the central pool, followed by other states like Haryana. Till Thursday, government agencies and private millers in Punjab procured more than 2.38 mt of paddy.
Out of the total procurement of 2.38 mt of paddy in all the procurement centres of Punjab, government agencies procured 2.22 mt of paddy (93.2 per cent) till date, whereas private traders procured 162,000 tonnes. The central government agency, FCI, had been able to procure 26,336 tonnes.
It is worth mentioning that the government’s nodal procurement agency, FCI has been procuring paddy (common) at Rs 1,080 a quintal and paddy (grade A) at Rs 1,110 a quintal in the ongoing 2011-12 marketing year. Last year, it was Rs 1,000 a quintal for common variety and Rs 1,030 for grade A variety.
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On being asked about the present buffer stock with FCI, senior official said at present 19.93 mt of rice was lying with FCI including the stock of state agencies as on October 1, while it was 22.16 mt during the corresponding period of the previous year.
He mentioned that inter-state movement of rice is going and in the month of August alone around 5.1 mt of rice were moved out from FCI godown for the public distribution system.