Rice procurement from kharif-grown crop during October-March has reached 492.2 lakh tonnes (lt), which is 0.7 per cent lower than 495.7 lt reported in the year-ago period. Though the procurement for the first time this season dipped, the government may be in a comfortable position to meet any extra demand outside the normal requirement under the food security law since it has been able to achieve 96 per cent of target amid purchases in West Bengal and Assam slated to continue for some more time.
The target was 514.72 lt of rice from 2022-23 kharif crop and considering that last year, there was 7 lt additional added in the procurement of kharif-grown paddy after March, there is still hope for some more quantity to be added this year as well, a Food Ministry official said, though it may not reach near what has been estimated.
While kharif season’s procurement has been concluded in all States for rice, it will continue until end of May in West Bengal and till June 30 in Assam. This year, the harvesting started early in West Bengal because of which the procurement is so far up by 38 per cent to 20.66 lt and some experts said that there might not be any significant improvement in the State.
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As the government targets to procure 106.18 lt rice from rabi-grown crop, there is still scope of overall procurement reaching near last year’s 575.88 lt.
According to official data, rice procurement was 114.34 lt in October, 104.39 lt in November, 137.2 lt in December, 81.4 lt in January, 41 lt in February and 13.9 lt in March during 2022-23 season starting October.
Food security
“If common rice segment is considered, as government buys only this variety rice, the kharif procurement is nearly half of the 990.75 lt rice produced. The government will have to administrate food security rice supply and private supply in such a way so that physical market availability remains robust when core inflation is a concern,” said S Chandrasekaran, a trade policy analyst. The government requires about 380 lt rice per year for distribution under National Food Security Act and other welfare schemes and it leaves scope for additional distribution of the grain under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, he added.
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The Food Corporation of India (FCI) had 210.54 lt of rice and 371.80 lt of paddy (nearly 250 lt in terms of rice) as on March 1 in the Central Pool stock. According to APEDA’s crop survey, the country had 90 lt of Basmati rice production during 2022-23 and Agriculture Ministry pegged total rice output (both Basmati and non-Basmati) at 1308.37 lt.