Pawar rules out wheat imports this year
India, which bought wheat from markets abroad for two years to feed its PDS ruled out any imports this year as foodgrain procurement neared 20 million tonne against the targeted 15 mt.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: India, which bought wheat from markets abroad for two years to feed its public distribution system (PDS), on Monday ruled out any imports this year as foodgrain procurement neared 20 million tonne against the targeted 15 mt.
���Though we have a target of 15 mt, we will reach 20 mt.
If we reach 20 mt, import will not be required. There is no question (of import),��� agriculture and food minister Sharad Pawar told reporters here on the sidelines of a function organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).
The minister said his assessment of the situation was based on feedback from all state governments and the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
Wheat procurement reached 18.5 mt till Saturday last week, Mr Pawar said at the conference.
When asked whether the government would stop procurement after it reaches 20 mt, the minister said procurement would continue even after that, as per the schedule.
India had to import 5.5 mt of wheat in 2006 to augment its buffer stock and manage PDS as procurement fell substantially to 9.2 mt. The government requires 12 mt wheat for supply under the PDS.
In 2007, the country had to import 1.8 mt at a very high price as the government could procure only 11 mt against the targeted 15 mt.
However, procurement during the current marketing season has improved substantially thanks to increased efforts of Punjab and Haryana government, coupled with a bumper crop during current and last year.
India is estimated to have produced a record 76.78 mt of wheat in 2007-08 against 74.81 mt in previous year.
The last high was in 1999-2000 when the country���s wheat output was 76.37 mt.
���Though we have a target of 15 mt, we will reach 20 mt.
If we reach 20 mt, import will not be required. There is no question (of import),��� agriculture and food minister Sharad Pawar told reporters here on the sidelines of a function organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).
The minister said his assessment of the situation was based on feedback from all state governments and the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
Wheat procurement reached 18.5 mt till Saturday last week, Mr Pawar said at the conference.
When asked whether the government would stop procurement after it reaches 20 mt, the minister said procurement would continue even after that, as per the schedule.
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The wheat procurement will continue till May 15 in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, while the purchases will end by June 15 in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.India had to import 5.5 mt of wheat in 2006 to augment its buffer stock and manage PDS as procurement fell substantially to 9.2 mt. The government requires 12 mt wheat for supply under the PDS.
In 2007, the country had to import 1.8 mt at a very high price as the government could procure only 11 mt against the targeted 15 mt.
However, procurement during the current marketing season has improved substantially thanks to increased efforts of Punjab and Haryana government, coupled with a bumper crop during current and last year.
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The procurement from non-traditional states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh has also increased significantly.India is estimated to have produced a record 76.78 mt of wheat in 2007-08 against 74.81 mt in previous year.
The last high was in 1999-2000 when the country���s wheat output was 76.37 mt.
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