Centre says sufficient grain stocks available to meet demands
Dec 17, 2022
New Delhi [India], December 17 : The government has sufficient food grain stocks under the central pool to meet the requirement of the country's food security program, additional allocation from PMGKAY, and other welfare schemes, informed the Central Government through a release on Saturday.
About 159 lakh tonne of wheat and 104 lakh tonne of rice will be available as on January 1, 2023, which is well above the respective buffer norms requirement of 138 lakh tonne of wheat and 76 lakh tonne of rice as on January 1.
As on December 15, 2022, around 180 lakh tonne of wheat and 111 lakh tonne of rice are available in the central pool., the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution said in a statement on Saturday.
"The stock position of Wheat and Rice under Central Pool have always remained well above the buffer norms," the statement said.
Though procurement of wheat during last season was on the lower side due to lesser production coupled with selling by farmers at prices higher than MSP in the open market, enough stock of wheat will still be available to cater to the needs till the next wheat harvest arrives.
"Further, the allocations under NFSA as well as PMGKAY have also been revised in favor of rice for having sufficient wheat stock in central pool to cater to the requirements of welfare schemes," it said in the statement.
The government has enhanced the MSP of wheat to Rs 2,125 per 100 kg against the last year's Rs 2,015 for Rabi Marketing Season 2022-23.
Thus, an increase in MSP, coupled with fairly good climatic conditions are expected that the production and procurement of wheat during the next season to remain normal.
The procurement of wheat at MSP from farmers would commence from April 2023, and as per initial assessment, there has been a fair increase in the sowing of the wheat crops as compared to that of last year, the ministry said.
Wheat, a rabi crop, is mostly sown during October and November and the produce is harvested from January to March depending on the maturity.
