OFFTAKE OF FOODGRAINS FROM CENTRAL POOL IMPROVES

---

The offtake of foodgrains from central pool during April, 2002 was 26.06 lakh tonnes comprising 16.49 lakh tonnes of rice and 9.57 lakh tonnes of wheat as against 17.44 lakh tonnes ( 7.16 lakh tonnes of rice and 10.28 lakh tonnes of wheat) during the same month last year. The offtake during the month of May, 2002 was 35 lakh tonnes (provisional) -23.70 lakh tonnes of rice and 11.30 lakh tonnes of wheat- as against 17.75 lakh tonnes (8.26 lakh tonnes of rice and 9.49 lakh tonnes of wheat) during May, 2001. The total offtake of rice and wheat from the Central Pool during the first two months of the current financial year thus stands at 61.06 lakh tonnes (provisional) as against 35.19 lakh tonnes during the same period last year respresenting an increase of 73.5 per cent.

The stocks of foodgrains held by FCI and State agencies as on May 31, 2002 were 649.31 lakh tonnes (P) comprising 233.28 lakh tonnes of rice and 416.03 lakh tonnes of wheat.

A quantity of 29.99 lakh tonnes of rice was lifted for export since March 2001 and 39.93 lakh tonnes has been paid for. Since November 2000, the total quantity of wheat lifted for export stands at 95.41 lakh tonnes while 107.24 lakh tonnes of wheat has been paid for as on May 31, 2002.