The Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD), Government of India, chaired a meeting of state food secretaries and Food Corporation of India (FCI) on August 21, 2023, to discuss the procurement arrangements for Kharif crop ensuing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2023-24.
A quantity of 521.27 LMT rice has been estimated for procurement during the forthcoming KMS 2023-24 (Kharif Crop) as against the previous year’s estimates of 518 LMT wherein 496 LMT was actually procured during the last KMS 2022-23 (Kharif crop). During KMS 2023-24 (Kharif Crop), the leading states in terms of estimated rice procurement are Punjab (122 LMT), Chhattisgarh (61 LMT) and Telangana (50 LMT) followed by Odisha (44.28 LMT), Uttar Pradesh (44 LMT), Haryana (40 LMT), Madhya Pradesh (34 LMT), Bihar (30 LMT), Andhra Pradesh (25 LMT), West Bengal (24 LMT) and Tamil Nadu (15 LMT), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India informed today.
A quantity of 33.09 LMT of coarse grains /millets (Shri Anna) has been estimated for procurement by the states during the Kharif Marketing Season 2023-24 as against actual procurement of 7.37 LMT during KMS 2022-23 (Kharif & Rabi). Six minor millets have also been introduced to be purchased by the states at a minimum support price (MSP) of ragi starting this KMS 2023-24, up to three years. For increasing the procurement and consumption of millets, the Government of India has revised the distribution period of millets, incorporated inter-state transportation of millets, added provision of advanced subsidy, administrative charges @2 per cent and also revised guidelines for facilitating procurement of six minor millets. States and UTs were advised to focus on procurement of millets, not only on account of International Year of Millets-2023 (IYOM 2023) but also for crop diversification and enhanced nutrition in dietary patterns, the ministry briefed about the meeting.
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During the meeting, issues relating to gunny bags requirement, route optimisation for transportation of foodgrains from designated depots to fair price shops, improving infrastructure in procurement centres and monitoring of wheat stock limit portal were also discussed in the meeting.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary/Secretary (Food) or representatives of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The meeting was also attended by Chairman & Managing Director, FCI & other officers of FCI, Department of Food & Public Distribution, Indian Metrological Department (IMD) and Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
