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Informist, Thursday, Aug 1, 2024

 

MUMBAI – The Centre has allowed grain-deficient states to buy rice from the Food Corp of India through open market sales, without participating in the electronic auction from today, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said in a release. 

 

The states can buy grain at 2,800 rupees per 100 kg from the FCI, the release said. "The decision has been taken to reduce the huge surplus of stocks prior to the commencement of the new procurement season," the release said, quoting Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Prahlad Joshi.

 

The minister also said the sale of rice and atta under the Bharat brand, which was slated to run till Jun 30, will continue.

 

Speaking about the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the minister said the government has distributed 49.7 mln tn of food grains in 2023-24 and 12.5 mln tn in the current year till June under the scheme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November announced the extension of the scheme, which provides free food grains to about 813.5 beneficiaries, for five years at an estimated cost of 11.80 trln rupees. 

 

Commenting on high food inflation, Joshi said tomato prices are stabilising, and the government has made subsidised tomatoes available for 60 rupees a kg without using the Price Stabilisation Fund. He also said sowing of pulses during the kharif season has increased and there will be "100% procurement of pulses from farmers". 

 

India's retail food inflation rose to a 10-month high of 9.36% in June, primarily driven by vegetable prices.

 

On ethanol, Joshi said production capacity has increased to 15.89 bln litres per annum, which is sufficient to meet the domestic requirement. The minister also said sugar mills have paid cane farmers 1.05 trln rupees, which is more than 94.8% of the cane dues for the current sugar season. For the 2022-23 sugar season, mills have paid 99.8% of sugarcane dues to the farmers, he said.  End

 

Reported by J. Navya Sruthi

Edited by Saji George Titus

 

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