NEW DELHI: Amid complaints of slow down in paddy procurement in Punjab due to storage crunch, the Centre is set to move around 40 lakh tonnes of rice in next three-four months and create additional space for another 20 lakh tonnes in the state. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) will go for weekly movement of the stock from Punjab to other rice consuming states.
In a recent meeting with Union food minister Parhlad Joshi, Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann flagged how scarcity of rice storage capacity in the state was affecting the paddy procurement from mandis and leading to farmers’ resentment. Joshi had promised to evacuate the stocks and also procure the 120 lakh tonnes of paddy from the state.
Joshi on Wednesday said, “We are committed to create space and evacuating surplus rice stocks from Punjab and Haryana is our highest priority. We have submitted a plan for evacuation of foodgrain from Punjab.” Officials said options are also being explored to store some of the surplus rice in the godowns meant for wheat storage in the state.
So far 23 lakh tonne of paddy has been procured from Punjab during the current marketing season, which is nearly 38% less than the 37 lakh tonnes bought last year during the same period. Punjab is the biggest contributor to the central pool of food grains stock.
Sources said the Centre has given the go ahead for creating 20 lakh tonnes of additional storage capacity under the Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee Scheme . They added that the state govt will soon float tenders for this purpose.
Till Tuesday, the FCI and state govt agencies have purchased 63 lakh tonnes of paddy from farmers mostly in Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu. This is around 26% less than 85.2 lakh tonnes of paddy purchased in the same period last season.
The FCI annually supplies around 380 lakh tonnes of rice to around 80 crore beneficiaries covered under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana .
In a recent meeting with Union food minister Parhlad Joshi, Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann flagged how scarcity of rice storage capacity in the state was affecting the paddy procurement from mandis and leading to farmers’ resentment. Joshi had promised to evacuate the stocks and also procure the 120 lakh tonnes of paddy from the state.
Joshi on Wednesday said, “We are committed to create space and evacuating surplus rice stocks from Punjab and Haryana is our highest priority. We have submitted a plan for evacuation of foodgrain from Punjab.” Officials said options are also being explored to store some of the surplus rice in the godowns meant for wheat storage in the state.
So far 23 lakh tonne of paddy has been procured from Punjab during the current marketing season, which is nearly 38% less than the 37 lakh tonnes bought last year during the same period. Punjab is the biggest contributor to the central pool of food grains stock.
Sources said the Centre has given the go ahead for creating 20 lakh tonnes of additional storage capacity under the Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee Scheme . They added that the state govt will soon float tenders for this purpose.
Till Tuesday, the FCI and state govt agencies have purchased 63 lakh tonnes of paddy from farmers mostly in Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu. This is around 26% less than 85.2 lakh tonnes of paddy purchased in the same period last season.
The FCI annually supplies around 380 lakh tonnes of rice to around 80 crore beneficiaries covered under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana .
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