Government purchase of more than 775 lakh tonnes of paddy in Kharif marketing season

04-Jul-2024 12:52 PM

New Delhi. Data from the Union Food Ministry shows that during the Kharif marketing season of 2023-24, more than 775 lakh tonnes of paddy was purchased by the Food Corporation of India for the central pool from more than one crore farmers at the minimum support price and more than Rs 1.74 lakh crore was paid in its bank account as its price. In this, the number of small and marginal farmers was the highest,

who are spread across the country. With this, the stock of rice in the central pool increased to above 490 lakh tonnes, which also includes 160 lakh tonnes of rice which is to be received from rice millers.

The domestic annual requirement of rice is close to 400 lakh tonnes. According to official rules, it is mandatory to have a stock of at least 135 lakh tonnes of rice in the central pool on July 1,

whereas the actual stock is not only much more than this but is also sufficient to meet the entire annual needs. New procurement of paddy rice is also going to start from October 2024.

On this basis, it can be said that there is no problem anywhere on the rice front and the government has more than enough stock to ensure domestic food security.

Paddy production is expected to increase in the current Kharif season as the Meteorological Department has predicted more than normal rainfall across the country.