04-24-2008, 08:39 PM
<b>Wheat procurement to cross 150 lakh tonnes</b>
Link
New Delhi, April 23
Wheat procurement for Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country will cross the target of 150 lakh tonnes. Officials say to supplement the food stock; the government is prepared to procure an additional 20 lakh tonnes over and above the target of 150 lakh tonnes.
Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said during the past 10 days of procurement, 86.25 lakh tonnes of wheat had been procured by government agencies for the PDS, thereby meeting almost 60 per cent of the estimated goal of 150 lakh tonnes.
At the beginning of the current Rabi marketing season, the government had set the procurement target at 1.5 million tonnes. Last year, it was able to procure only 1.1 million tonnes and was forced to import 1.8 million tonnes to augment buffer stock.
On Tuesday, the government also claimed that food grain production during 2007-08 had reached a record of 227.32 million tonnes in case of rice, wheat, oil seeds, cotton and coarse grains. While skeptics say that declarations about the bumper crop and adequate procurement are election-driven. But todayâs figures as well as yesterdayâs estimates of record food grain production during 2007-08 also mean that the country will not have to import wheat this year and prices will be stabilised.
In fact, there is a heavy arrival of wheat in mandis and the agriculture minister had expressed confidence that the target for wheat procurement was likely to be completed within the next five to seven days.
From Punjab and Haryana, which fulfills the maximum needs for the PDS, ICDS, school noon meal programme and food security reserves, government has procured about 99 per cent of the total market arrivals of wheat so far. The two states contribute 80 per cent of the total wheat for the central pool.
While majority of 86.25 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured from Punjab and Haryana, the Center has appreciated steps taken by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra governments to improve wheat procurement. It has asked other wheat growing states to take necessary steps to ensure enough wheat procurement by the government agencies.
In India wheat has now become national crop and its consumption is increasing in southern and northeastern states. Internationally there is a shortage of wheat due to variety of factors, including consecutive drought years in Australia and bad weather conditions in other wheat producing countries. In the US wheat is being diversified towards animal feed as corn and maize is used to produce biofuel.
States have also been asked to take necessary steps for procurement of rice in the Kharif season. Inaugurating the Conference of State Agriculture and Agricultural Marketing Ministers, Pawar said rice-producing states that did not procure adequate quantities of rice should give special attention to procurement. He appealed to the states to make best use of initiatives taken in recent years to ensure food security.
Pawar called upon state ministers to give high priority to better water use efficiency, ensuring availability of quality seed and fertilisers, improving marketing infrastructure, introducing market reforms and disseminating new technology through the extension network.
He said conservation farming was required especially in Punjab, Hayana and western UP, where deceleration in productivity growth in food grains had been observed in post green revolution period due to unsustainable use of soil and water resources.
Calling upon the states to expedite market reforms, the minister said investments in post-harvest and cold-chain infrastructure were needed for which entry of the private sector was necessary to bring latest technology and expertise in marketing. Therefore, an appropriate regulatory and policy environment was necessary.
He said the states had been asked by the ministry of agriculture to amend their Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Acts for de-regulation of the agricultural marketing system. Twenty-two states had amended their APMC Acts, but had not yet notified APMC Rules. A draft of model APMC Rules had been circulated to states. The ministry is also putting forth a proposal to constitute an Empowered Committee of State Agriculture Marketing Ministers to facilitate faster implementation of marketing reforms.
Link
New Delhi, April 23
Wheat procurement for Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country will cross the target of 150 lakh tonnes. Officials say to supplement the food stock; the government is prepared to procure an additional 20 lakh tonnes over and above the target of 150 lakh tonnes.
Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said during the past 10 days of procurement, 86.25 lakh tonnes of wheat had been procured by government agencies for the PDS, thereby meeting almost 60 per cent of the estimated goal of 150 lakh tonnes.
At the beginning of the current Rabi marketing season, the government had set the procurement target at 1.5 million tonnes. Last year, it was able to procure only 1.1 million tonnes and was forced to import 1.8 million tonnes to augment buffer stock.
On Tuesday, the government also claimed that food grain production during 2007-08 had reached a record of 227.32 million tonnes in case of rice, wheat, oil seeds, cotton and coarse grains. While skeptics say that declarations about the bumper crop and adequate procurement are election-driven. But todayâs figures as well as yesterdayâs estimates of record food grain production during 2007-08 also mean that the country will not have to import wheat this year and prices will be stabilised.
In fact, there is a heavy arrival of wheat in mandis and the agriculture minister had expressed confidence that the target for wheat procurement was likely to be completed within the next five to seven days.
From Punjab and Haryana, which fulfills the maximum needs for the PDS, ICDS, school noon meal programme and food security reserves, government has procured about 99 per cent of the total market arrivals of wheat so far. The two states contribute 80 per cent of the total wheat for the central pool.
While majority of 86.25 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured from Punjab and Haryana, the Center has appreciated steps taken by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra governments to improve wheat procurement. It has asked other wheat growing states to take necessary steps to ensure enough wheat procurement by the government agencies.
In India wheat has now become national crop and its consumption is increasing in southern and northeastern states. Internationally there is a shortage of wheat due to variety of factors, including consecutive drought years in Australia and bad weather conditions in other wheat producing countries. In the US wheat is being diversified towards animal feed as corn and maize is used to produce biofuel.
States have also been asked to take necessary steps for procurement of rice in the Kharif season. Inaugurating the Conference of State Agriculture and Agricultural Marketing Ministers, Pawar said rice-producing states that did not procure adequate quantities of rice should give special attention to procurement. He appealed to the states to make best use of initiatives taken in recent years to ensure food security.
Pawar called upon state ministers to give high priority to better water use efficiency, ensuring availability of quality seed and fertilisers, improving marketing infrastructure, introducing market reforms and disseminating new technology through the extension network.
He said conservation farming was required especially in Punjab, Hayana and western UP, where deceleration in productivity growth in food grains had been observed in post green revolution period due to unsustainable use of soil and water resources.
Calling upon the states to expedite market reforms, the minister said investments in post-harvest and cold-chain infrastructure were needed for which entry of the private sector was necessary to bring latest technology and expertise in marketing. Therefore, an appropriate regulatory and policy environment was necessary.
He said the states had been asked by the ministry of agriculture to amend their Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Acts for de-regulation of the agricultural marketing system. Twenty-two states had amended their APMC Acts, but had not yet notified APMC Rules. A draft of model APMC Rules had been circulated to states. The ministry is also putting forth a proposal to constitute an Empowered Committee of State Agriculture Marketing Ministers to facilitate faster implementation of marketing reforms.