A conference of Food Ministers and Food Secretaries from the Southern States held here on Thursday, has resolved to jointly work out a road map for checking seasonal rise of prices of essential items.
Another decision pertained to opening of ‘farmers markets' in metropolitan cities, as part of their larger exercise aimed at containing food price inflation.
Briefing newspersons here after the conference, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Prof K. V. Thomas, and the State Minister for Food, Mr C. Divakaran, said here that the meeting also decided in principle to form a South Zone Consultative Committee on Food and Civil Supplies to decide on issues such as inflation and shortage of foodgrain.
After assessing a given situation, the committee will put forward suggestions on regulating export and import of various commodities.
The roadmap has been designed with a view to take precautionary market intervention to check seasonal rise of prices of essential commodities.
Storage capacity
The proposed ‘farmers markets' are intended to supply agriculture produce at affordable rates to the public and ensure fair price to the farmers. The helpline linking Delhi to redress complaints of inflation will be streamlined.
Storage facilities for 17 million tonnes of foodgrain will be developed all over the country. This will comprise capacities built by Central and State Governments as well as the private sector, the Ministers said.
The Centre will examine the positive and negative impacts of forward trading, Prof Thomas said. Due changes will be made in the Essential Commodities Act. Stringent action will be taken against hoarding.