Govt targets 34.5 million tonne rice procurement in 2013-14

NEW DELHI: The government has set a target of 34.5 million tonnes of rice procurement for 2013-14 marketing year starting October.

Food Corporation of India, the nodal agency for foodgrain procurement and distribution, has procured 34 million tonnes so far in the 2012-13 marketing year (October- September). In 2011-12, procurement was record 35.06 million tonnes.

The rice procurement target was fixed at the meeting of the state food secretaries chaired by Union Food Secretary, Sudhir Kumar.

"Arrangements for procurement of paddy and coarse grains for the ensuing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) and estimates of procurements were reviewed in a meeting of State Food Secretaries held here today. The meeting estimated rice procurement 34.5 lakh tonnes for 2013-14," an official statement said today.

Kumar emphasised that action plans needed to be taken for procurement particularly in decentralised procurement states and other non-traditional states to maximise procurement.

"Arrangements for publicising minimum support price (MSP) and details of the procurement centres should be made," he said.

The secretary noted that pamphlets in local languages, banners, board should be put up in rural areas for this purpose.

Kumar asked States to prepare detailed storage plan and to be ready with an action plan to meet the deficit in storage requirement.

States were also requested to place indents in advance for purchase of jute and other bags to avoid any shortage at time for rice procurement, the statement said.