Govt sets record 48.5 million tonnes kharif rice procurement target for 2024-25 marketing year

With a record sowing of paddy in the ongoing kharif season, the government on Friday set a rice procurement target of 48.5 million tonnes for the 2024-25 marketing year, starting in October, according to a statement from the ministry of food and public distribution.

The government has also urged states to increase the purchase of coarse cereals, as the sowing area for these crops has expanded to 18.55 million hectares, up from 17.75 million hectares last year. This shift indicates a growing interest in alternative grains.

In the current 2023-24 marketing year (October-September), the government procured 46.3 million tonnes of kharif rice.

The decision was made during a meeting of state food secretaries and the Food Corporation of India (FCI), chaired by food secretary Sanjeev Chopra.

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During the meeting, key stakeholders discussed the arrangements for crop procurement in the upcoming Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25, according to the official statement.

Paddy is a two-season crop, grown in both the kharif and rabi seasons. The state-owned FCI serves as the government's nodal agency for the procurement and distribution of food grains.

Various factors impacting procurement, including weather forecasts, production estimates, and the preparedness of states for procurement operations, were reviewed during the meeting.

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"After deliberations, the estimates for paddy procurement (kharif crop) during the ongoing KMS 2024-25 have been fixed at 48.5 million tonnes in terms of rice, compared to the procurement of 46.3 million tonnes (kharif crop) during KMS 2023-24," the statement said.

The Centre has also set a target to procure 1.9 million tonnes of kharif coarse grains/millets during KMS 2024-25, significantly higher than the 0.66 million tonnes procured during KMS 2022-23 (kharif crop).

"States/UTs were advised to focus on the procurement of millets for crop diversification and enhanced nutrition in dietary patterns," the food ministry said.

As per the latest sowing data, the sowing of paddy has risen by 16% to cover 39.43 million hectares, compared to 37.80 million hectares at the same time last year. This notable expansion in rice cultivation underscores a strong emphasis on boosting the production of this staple food.

The total sowing area has reached 106.51 million hectares, up from 104.49 million hectares in the corresponding period last year.

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This increase largely alleviates concerns about a surge in food inflation, which has been more persistent than headline inflation in recent months. India’s Consumer Food Price Index escalated to 8.9% in the June quarter after averaging 7.5% in 2023-24.