Government sets target to procure 521.27 lakh tonnes of rice from kharif crop

The government has set a target to procure 521.27 lakh tonnes of rice being cultivated during the ongoing kharif season.

It has procured 496 lakh tonnes of rice from last year's kharif crop.

Paddy is grown in both the kharif (summer-sown) and rabi (winter-sown) seasons.

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra chaired a meeting of State Food Secretaries and Food Corporation of India (FCI) on August 21 to discuss the procurement arrangements for the Kharif crop in the ensuing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2023-24, which runs from October-September.

"A quantity of 521.27 lakh tonnes rice has been estimated for procurement during the forthcoming KMS 2023-24 (Kharif crop) as against the previous year estimates of 518 lakh tonnes wherein 496 lakh tonnes was actually procured during KMS 2022-23 (Kharif crop)," the food ministry said in an official statement.

During KMS 2023-24 (Kharif crop), rice procurement in Punjab is estimated at 122 lakh tonnes, Chhattisgarh (61 lakh tonnes), Telangana (50 lakh tonnes), Odisha (44.28 lakh tonnes), Uttar Pradesh (44 lakh tonnes), Haryana (40 lakh tonnes), Madhya Pradesh (34 lakh tonnes), Bihar (30 lakh tonnes), Andhra Pradesh (25 lakh tonnes), West Bengal (24 lakh tonnes) and Tamil Nadu (15 lakh tonnes).

A quantity of 33.09 lakh tonnes of coarsmilletse grains/millets (Shree Anna) has been estimated for procurement by the states during the KMS 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 MSP of Ragi starting this KMS 2023-24, up to three years.