Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday wrote to Union food and public distribution minister Pralhad Joshi urging him to direct the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to create sufficient space for delivery of rice, so that procurement of paddy for Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25 could be carried out smoothly.
He highlighted that against the total covered space of 171 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) available in the state, nearly 121 LMT rice and 50 LMT wheat is lying stored in covered godowns and there is no space available to accommodate fresh rice crop.
In a letter to Joshi, Mann pointed out serious lack of delivery space with the FCI since May, which has hampered the delivery of rice by millers in the central pool. He further said that it has also led to an apprehension amongst the rice millers of the state about the space crunch during the ensuing kharif season 2024-25.
“The issue of storage space demands immediate and urgent attention and a minimum monthly movement of 20 lakh LMT of food grains, especially rice, is required every month from the state from till March 2025, so that sufficient space is created to accommodate fresh rice of KMS 2024-25,” read the letter.
It added, “While the state govt is making all-out efforts to ensure all pending rice is delivered to FCI at the earliest, the issue of space shortage with FCI assumes greater salience with the ensuing kharif season, during which around 185-190 LMT of paddy is expected to be procured, resulting in production of 120-125 LMT of rice for the central pool.”
The chief minister said that with the rice millers expressing their apprehension over the space issue with the FCI, farmers in the state may be impacted if timely space for ensuing kharif is not created by mobilising additional rakes.
He said that owing to the persistent space deficit, the state govt was constrained to seek extension in milling period first till July 31, 2024, and then till Aug 31, 2024. Mann said that due to pendency of rice pertaining to KMS 2023-24 owing to space crunch, the Centre has further extended the delivery period until Sept 30, adding that the state govt has been regularly taking up the issue of space shortage with the Centre.
Mann said that at least 25 rakes of wheat and rice must be mobilised from covered godowns per day from the state from Sept 24 to March 25 so that sufficient space is created for delivery of rice and procurement of paddy could be carried out seamlessly.
