Food Grain

Rain brings joy to Rajasthan farmers, to expedite sowing of rabi crops

Rabi crops have been sown in over 84.55 lakh hectares, so far, much below the target of 1.17 crore hectares

Bumper harvest of Russian wheat halves world prices from wartime high

"There are not a lot of competitors for Russian wheat," said Helene Duflot, a grain-market analyst at Strategie Grains. "Russia is the price maker at the moment"

Why states must not use central food grains for non-entitled categories

The Centre's decision in discontinuing with OMSS to states is in the interest of entire nation

Centre directs states to disclose stock to check unfair practices

The Union Food Ministry on Tuesday directed state governments to ensure compliance with the June 12 wheat stock limit order and ensure disclosure of stocks, thereby checking unfair trade practices. In a virtual meeting with state food secretaries, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra asked state governments to obtain disclosures of wheat stock held by wholesalers/traders, retailers, big chain retailers and processors to check the unfair practices and to bring transparency in the availability of wheat. The central government on June 12 notified stock limits on wheat for wholesalers, traders, retailers, big chain retailers and processors till March 31, 2024. It also decided to offload wheat and rice under Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). "The measures were aimed at cooling down the prices and prevent hoarding and speculation," an official statement said. A user manual regarding submitting the stock has also been shared with state governments for ease of filling up the data on the portal ...

Free grain under NFSA: States to save on food bill, lose political mileage

Food subsidies are a major portion of subsidies provided by states

Centre makes PDS free for 810 mn people; annual outlay likely at Rs 2 trn

Govt merges certain benefits of PMGKAY into PDS

Ethiopia receives 25,000 tons of food grain from Ukraine amid drought

The first shipment of grain as part of Ukraine's own initiative to supply countries in need arrived in Djibouti Monday for delivery to neighbouring Ethiopia amid the region's worst drought in decades. Ukraine's embassy in Ethiopia confirmed that the Grain from Ukraine" shipment of 25,000 tons is separate from a United Nations World Food Program effort that has funded humanitarian grain shipments from Ukraine. A second ship with 30,000 tons of wheat will be heading to Ethiopia next week, while a third vessel is currently being loaded with 25,000 tons of wheat bound for Somalia, an embassy statement said. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky last month announced the initiative aimed at helping countries the most struck by the food crisis. Ukraine has said it plans to send more than 60 ships to Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Congo, Kenya, Yemen and other countries. Millions of people in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are going hungry due to drought following the fifth straight

Wheat stocks halve from a year ago, inventories marginally higher: Data

Wheat inventories at government-run granaries stood at 22.7 million tonnes on Oct 1

Govt likely to cap non-basmati and basmati rice blending to 15%

Currently, basmati - which is meant for exports to European nations only - is allowed with up to 15 per cent blending. However, for domestic sale, the blending goes up to 30-40 per cent

Russia smuggling Ukrainian grain worth $530 million to fuel Putin's war

When the bulk cargo ship Laodicea docked in Lebanon last summer, Ukrainian diplomats said the vessel was carrying grain stolen by Russia and urged Lebanese officials to impound the ship. Moscow called the allegation false and baseless, and Lebanon's prosecutor general sided with the Kremlin and declared that the 10,000 tons of barley and wheat flour wasn't stolen and allowed the ship to unload. But an investigation by the Associated Press and the PBS series Frontline has found the Laodicea, owned by Syria, is part of a sophisticated Russian-run smuggling operation that has used falsified manifests and seaborne subterfuge to steal Ukrainian grain worth at least USD 530 million cash that has helped feed President Vladimir Putin's war machine. AP used satellite imagery and marine radio transponder data to track three dozen ships making more than 50 voyages carrying grain from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to ports in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and other countries. The ongoing theft,

Centre extends free food grain scheme till Dec at a cost of Rs 45k cr

Move to cost the exchequer additional Rs 44,762 crore

Govt to soon rope in private players for foodgrains procurement: Food secy

The Centre will soon invite private players along with Food Corporation of India and other state agencies to procure foodgrains for buffer stock, food secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said on Monday. He informed that the Union food ministry has already written to all the state governments regarding this. Addressing 82nd annual general meeting of Roller Flour Millers Federation of India, Pandey said that the Centre has given two clear messages to the state governments regarding procurement of foodgrains. One is that the Centre would provide up to 2 per cent incidental expenses on the procurement undertaken by the state governments. Second, it wants to rope in private sector to buy foodgrains for the central buffer stock with an aim to improve efficiency and reduce the cost of procurement, he said. "We also want to involve private sector in the procurement process. Why only FCI and state agencies should be procuring?" he asked. The secretary said in his recent visit to the International .

Ukraine works to resume grain exports, flags Russian strikes as risk

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced Saturday's attack as "barbarism" that showed Moscow could not be trusted to implement a deal struck just one day earlier with Turkish and UN mediation

World's food baskets need a better safety net as India curbs wheat exports

The world had been counting on Indian grain after the war in Ukraine, drought in Argentina and floods in Australia cut production from those countries

Ensure India emerges as world's source of quality food grain: PM Modi

Review meeting indicates that the government might not immediately curb exports of the food grain.

Govt might have to pick rice over wheat if it extends free food grain plan

India set to have 38.6 million tonnes of rice in its reserves-much more than what it requires.

Rs 2.60 trn to be spent on food grains under PMGKAY till March: Centre

Additionally, over Rs 3,109 crore were provided under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat (ANB) scheme for the needy

Delhi procuring more foodgrains for needy without ration cards: Minister

Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain said the city government is in the process of procuring more foodgrains for distribution among the needy without ration cards

Covid-19 relief: Centre mulls extending scheme for free grains and pulses

For wheat, rice and pulses (notably chana), the central government has enough stock to ensure additional supplies for the next 3-4 months

Govt clears affordable housing scheme, extends LPG, free grain benefits

Free gas refill through direct benefit transfer for beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme was also extended till September