Rice procurement by Government agencies has crossed the half-way-mark of the targeted 40 million tonnes (mt) for the kharif marketing season 2012-13 starting October.

Procurement as of end-January stood at 22.33 mt, up by 5 per cent over that in the corresponding period last year at 21.17 mt.

Procurement has been higher in Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, while States such as Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have registered a decline.

Procurement of paddy by the State agencies has been completed in the major rice growing States with the exception of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha.

Punjab has procured a total of 8.55 mt of rice this year against last year’s 7.73 mt, a growth of 10.6 per cent. Chhattisgarh has procured 3.76 mt (3.23 mt in the corresponding last year), while Haryana has registered a 25 per cent increase in rice procurement at 2.5 mt (1.99 mt). In Odisha, rice procurement is up 55 per cent at 1.68 mt (1.08 mt). However, in Uttar Pradesh, the procurement is down 38 per cent at 1.25 mt (2.01 mt)

The Government agencies had procured 35 mt of rice in the 2011-12 kharif marketing season and are targeting 40 mt in the current season.

Rice stocks in the Central Pool as on January 1 stood at 32.22 million tonnes, more than twice the buffer and strategic reserves of 13.8 million tonnes required at this point in time. Similarly, wheat stocks in the Central Pool stood at 34.38 million tonnes, about thrice the buffer and strategic reserve required at this point in time. The total food grains in the Central pool stocks as on January 1 stood at 66.60 mt, more than twice the buffer and strategic reserve requirement at this point in time.

> Vishwanath.kulkarni@thehindu.co.in

comment COMMENT NOW