KHARIF MARKETING SEASON 2003-04
FOOD
MINISTRY REVIEWS ARRANGEMENT FOR PROCUREMENT
Secretary Food and
Public Distribution Shri Arun Bhatnagar today took a review to
assess the arrangements for procurement of paddy and coarse- grains
during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2003-04. The meeting
was attended by officials from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam,
Bihar, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tripura,
Uttar- Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal and Andamans and Nicobar
Islands. Senior officials from the Food Corporation of India also
participated in the deliberations.
Addressing the officials
the Secretary said that procurement of paddy and coarse grains
from various parts of the country should be undertaken after proper
and advance planning. He mentioned that one of the main conclusion
of the All Party Meeting called by the Prime Minister on the Public
Distribution System, was to have a greater interaction with the
States to understand their concerns and arrive at a workable solution.
This meeting, he said is a continuation of the process to look
into the concern of the states and review the procurement estimates
and arrangements made by them for the Kharif Marketing Season.
The officials from
the Ministry told that arrangements have been made to step up
the procurement under MSP operation in the non- traditional States
during the present Kharif Marketing Season. State Governments
were asked to indicate their requirements to ensure smooth operations.
State Government officials indicated the period of procurement
of paddy that would commence from November. The officials from
the State Governments also gave the area coverage under paddy
and coarsegrains and provided advance estimates of its production
to the Department. The area coverage under autumn rice is reported
to be 228.35 lakh hectares during the current year against 195.85
lakh hectares in 2002-03 and 265.16 lakh hectares in 2001-02.
The States showing additional coverage over the previous year
are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and U.P. For the coarsegrains,
the total area covered was 203.70 lakh hectares compared to 155.06
lakh hectares in the previous year. The States showing additional
coverage over the previous year are Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa,
Punjab, Rajasthan and U.P.
During the current
KMS 2003-04 as on 21st August, 161.93 lakh tonnes of
rice (including paddy in terms of rice) has been procured for
the Central pool. A quantity of 144.68 lakh tonnes of paddy has
been procured under the Minimum Support Price Operations (MSP)
for the Central Pool, out of which 103.49 lakh tonnes has been
procured in Punjab. The share of FCI in the procurement in the
procurement of paddy under the MSP has been 28.02 lakh tonnes.
It is estimated that the procurement of rice during the forthcoming
Kharif Marketing Season will be around 200 lakh tonnes (including
paddy in terms of rice).
