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Informist, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025

By Afra Abubacker

NEW DELHI – The Food Corp. of India has met its rice procurement targets for Chhattisgarh and Telangana in the kharif marketing season 2024-25 (Oct-Sep), FCI data showed. As of Friday, the corporation had bought a record 7.0 million tonnes in Chhattisgarh and 3.6 million tonnes in Telangana, the data showed. Telangana's government offered INR 500 above the support price of INR 2,320 per 100 kg.

Meanwhile, across India, FCI has purchased 42.1 million tonnes of rice, 85% of its procurement target, as of Monday, the data showed. The rice purchases are 5% higher on year amid increased paddy production. India is pegged to have a record kharif rice production of 119.9 million tonnes in 2024-25. 

Amid high paddy production, FCI has scaled up its kharif rice procurement target to 49.56 million tonnes from 48.50 million tonnes earlier. "The procurement target was enhanced as per state requests for higher procurement," the official said. Karnataka and Bihar have planned to buy more paddy this year. However, against the target of 500,000 tonnes of rice, Karnataka has not yet bought any rice, the data showed. 

Though the agency has concluded paddy procurement in major states, it will continue procuring in other states till March, the official said. FCI concluded its kharif paddy procurement in Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, and Gujarat last month, and in Punjab and Haryana in November. 

Uttarakhand bought 451,070 tonnes of rice, about 90% of its target, while Gujarat concluded purchases after meeting over 67% of the target at 23,504 tonnes, the data showed. Punjab and Haryana, respectively, bought 12.4% of the target at 11.6 million tonnes and 85% of the target at 3.6 million tonnes. 

"Though there are space constraints, FCI is regularly reviewing and handling it," the official said. The stock of rice at FCI godowns as of Jan. 1 was 29.1 million tonnes, the highest for a month in a decade. To clear stocks, the government has asked FCI to sell rice to distillers at a subsidised rate of INR 22.50 per kg, way below the economic cost of INR 39.75 per kg.  End

Edited by Rajeev Pai

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