News Capsule: Centre raises Odisha’s rice quota to 5.8 million tonnes
22-Oct-2025 10:46 AM
News Capsule: Centre raises Odisha’s rice quota to 5.8 million tonnes
★ The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has announced that Odisha will now procure 4.7 million tonnes of rice from the kharif crop and 1.1 million tonnes from the rabi crop during the 2024–25 marketing season.
★ The ministry has also permitted the state government to lift rice in advance from the central pool for food security and nutrition schemes until March 2026, with the process to be completed by November.
★ The state currently holds a surplus stock of 1.2 million tonnes of rice and had requested the Centre to increase its quota to create storage space ahead of the new kharif procurement season starting November 1.
★ In the previous marketing season, Odisha procured a record 9.26 million tonnes of paddy — equivalent to about 6.3 million tonnes of rice — against the FCI’s target of lifting 5 million tonnes.
★ The chief minister had met the Union food minister several times, urging an increase in the rice lifting limit and an extension of the delivery deadline from October 31 to December 31.