Punjab rice delivery for central pool picks up
CHANDIGARH: Rice procurement from Punjab for the central pool has picked up for the 2011-12 season, with rice millers so far delivering 18.77 lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than 8 lakh tonnes in comparison to the procurement made in the corresponding period last year.
Punjab, which contributes almost 30% of the country’s rice procurement, is supposed to deliver 75.8 lakh tonnes of rice out of paddy procured during the Kharif marketing season 2011-12. The delivery of rice starts from December.
“The rice procurement from Punjab this season has been swift.
The rice contribution by millers this season has reached 18.77 lakh tonnes which is far more than what was contributed in the corresponding period,” a senior official of the FCI told PTI here on Wednesday.
The FCI official attributed the rise in rice procurement to the fast movement of foodgrain
PUNJAB YET TO DELIVER 3 LAKH TONNES OF RICE PENDING AS STATE WAS TO CONTRIBUTE 86.4 LAKH TONNES OF RICE FOR THE SAME PERIOD
stock from Punjab to other states, resulting in enough vacant space for storing rice.
“This year, the movement of wheat and rice stock is quite satisfactory and we expect over 160 lakh tonnes of foodgrain stock will be evacuated from state godowns to other states by end of March, which will leave sufficient covered space for the storage of rice,” he said.
The Punjab government and rice millers have always blamed the FCI for slow movement of foodgrain from the state to consuming states, which cause a huge shortage of space for storing wheat and rice.
The space constraint always has always been cited as main reason by rice millers for delay in delivery of rice. As per estimates, Punjab faces shortage of 70 lakh tonnes of space for storing the foodgrain, though construction of a new storage capacity is underway.
The FCI is also hoping for speedy delivery of rice in the wake of non-approval of relaxation in damage content in rice by the Centre.
“The government has not accepted the demand of rice millers this time, seeking relaxation in damage content from 3% to 4%. Now they are left with no option except to deliver rice,” an official confided.
Notably, Punjab is yet to deliver over 3 lakh tonnes of rice pending for the year 2010-11 as the state was to contribute 86.4 lakh tonnes of rice for the same period.
The state government has sought extension in last date of rice delivery from January 31 till March 31 for 2010-11 season. The state had already sought extensions thrice from the Centre for the delivery of rice.