The Financial Express (Delhi Edition)
Buffer stocks: Panel for procuring more pulses
IN a bid to keep the prices of essential food items in check, a high-level committee chaired by finance minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday decided to supply 10,000 tonnes of pulses, consisting of mostly tur and urad, to the states from the Centre’s buffer stocks, reports fe Bureau in New Delhi. The meeting, also attended by the agriculture, food and commerce ministers, also resolved that the food ministry would procure more pulses from farmers and via imports to bolster the buffer stock.
New Delhi, June 15: Ina bid to keep prices of essential food items in check, a high level meeting chaired by finance minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday decided to supply 10,000 tonne pulses, mainly tur and urad, to the states from the Centre’s buffer stock. The meeting, attended by agriculture, food and commerce ministers, also resolved that the food ministry would procure more pulses from far mers and via imports to bolster the buffer stock.
Bilateral deals with governments will be worked out to step up import of pulses. Against the target of creating a buffer stock of 1.5 lakh tonne pulses, the government agencies — Food Corporation of India (FCI), Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) and farmers cooperative Nafed — have so far procured 1.15 lakh tonne of the commodity from farmers in the last kharif and rabi seasons.
The food ministry has ordered import of 12,500 tonne of pulses for buffer stock which include 10,000 tonne of masur and 2,500 tonne of urad. So far 14,321 tonne of pulses have already been imported by the government.
Meanwhile, the food ministry has asked the private agencies who import pulses to dispose stocks within 45 days so that there is sufficient stocks in the markets. “We have asked the states to take action against hoarders of pulses,” food minister Ram Vilas Paswan said.
Along with lentil price, the rise in prices of tomato, sugar and wheat was also discussed at the meeting. Paswan said that the price rise of tomato was a 'seasonal' factor and the commodity cannot be stored due to short shelf-life.