With extra shares of par-boiled rice with the Food Corporation of India below the general public distribution system, the federal government on Monday declined to take possession of the Telangana authorities’s demand to raise round 1.5 million tonne (mt) of par-boiled rice below the Central pool.
Sudhanshu Pandey, secretary meals and public distribution, mentioned towards an annual demand of round 2.8 mt of the par-boiled within the nation — largely consumed in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand–, the company had 4 mt of grain shares as on April 1.
“Given that shelf-life of par-boiled rice is around 1.5 years, we are not in the position to accept additional amount of grain under the central pool from Telangana,” Pandey mentioned. He mentioned that the Telangana authorities was knowledgeable effectively upfront in regards to the Centre’s choice.
Sources mentioned in a gathering August, 2021, the centre had knowledgeable the states that no par boiled rice will probably be accepted within the central pool from kharif advertising season (June-July) for 2021-22 from any state because of excessive inventory degree and procurement of par boiled rice by consuming states equivalent to Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal.
In the 2020-21 season, out of the entire procurement of 8.83 mt of par boiled rice by FCI, 4.88 mt of rice procured in Telangana and different key states which contributed to the central pool shares had been Odisha (1.7 mt), Chhattisgarh (1.5 mt) and Andhra Pradesh (0.42 mt).
Food ministry officers mentioned as a particular case in 2020-21, Telangana was permitted to acquire 4.88 mt of par boiled rice and subsequently the state authorities had communicated stating that that no par-boiled rice to be delivered by Telangana authorities to FCI.
Sources mentioned that manufacturing of rice in par-boiled consuming states equivalent to Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu has elevated leading to lesser requirement of par-boiled rice from surplus states equivalent to Telangana. Telangana follows a decentralised procurement coverage the place surplus rice after assembly the state’s requirement are delivered to FCI for additional motion to rice deficit states.
Telangana chief minister Ok Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday commenced a dharna in Delhi for demanding that FCI ought to procure total amount of paddy produced within the state as like Punjab.
The state authorities has been demanding that FCI fixes procurement targets for the complete yr at one go, which might assist states to plan an applicable cropping sample. However, the central authorities decides the quantum of rice and wheat to be procured from the states twice yearly forward of the kharif and rabi seasons.
Sources additionally mentioned that through the meals secretary’s assembly held in February, 2022 for discussing preparations for procurement of rice/paddy for the rabi crop 2021-22 crop yr, Telangana authorities didn’t furnish any procurement estimates. Total Rice procurement in Telangana below the central pool has elevated considerably from 3.6 mt in 2016-17 to 9.5 mt in 2020-21. FCI had procured all time excessive 4.88 mt of par boiled rice throughout 2020-21 (crop yr).
Source: www.financialexpress.com”