The Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Railways Shri Ravneet Singh Bittu held a high-level meeting with officials of Food Corporation of India (FCI) in Chandigarh today, October 27, 2024, to review the movement and procurement of food grains in the state of Punjab. Held against the backdrop of the Kharif marketing season for 2024-25 and the ongoing concerns over paddy procurement, management, and storage in Punjab, this meeting is part of the Government of India’s commitment to supporting Punjab’s agricultural sector and ensuring the welfare of farmers.

The meeting was attended by Punjab FCI General Manager Shri B. Srinivasan and other senior FCI officials who briefed the Minister on the current state of paddy procurement and storage. They reported that Punjab’s paddy procurement  is estimated to reach 186 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) this season, with approximately 49.88 LMT having been procured already. It was informed that the state of Punjab currently benefits from a robust total storage capacity of 174 LMT, which includes FCI-owned storage capacity of 124 LMT and an additional 49 LMT of state agencies capacity. At present, 116.20 LMT of rice and 58.07 LMT of wheat, i.e., a total of 174.27 LMT, is stored in Punjab.

Briefing the media after the meeting, the Minister highlighted that substantial efforts are underway to transport produce out of Punjab, From April to October, 95.16 LMT of rice and wheat were transported from Punjab through 2,684 dedicated rake movements, freeing up additional storage capacity in the state.

The Minister said that the Government of India has approved the construction of 31 LMT of new storage capacity in the state. Out of this, he said that 9 LMT capacity was approved last year and that the  tender for the same is  yet to be finalised by the state government and that 22 LMT capacity has been approved last week.

The Minister informed that a total of 2,684 rakes have been moved from Punjab, from April 2024 upto 26th October, 2024. A total of 95 LMT of food grains has been shifted to other states from Punjab.

The Minister further informed that for smooth procurement of rice, FCI has a vacant space of around 15 LMT at present and that around 40 LMT space is to be created by December 2024 and that 90 LMT space will be created by March 2025

The Union Minister said that earlier, the allotment of storage for paddy and wheat was done separately, but that this time, permission has been given to store rice instead of wheat wherever required. Moreover, he emphasized that Rs. 44,000 crore has been allocated for MSP payments to ensure that farmers receive fair and timely remuneration for their produce. The Union Minister emphasized that while the Government of India has fulfilled its fiscal responsibilities, it is now incumbent upon the Government of Punjab, to ensure that these funds reach farmers within 48 hours of procurement.

Reaffirming the Government's commitment to supporting the agricultural sector, the Minister spoke of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of a self-reliant and prosperous agricultural community. He underscored the hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy to ₹ 2,320 per quintal today, representing a substantial increase of approximately ₹ 1,000 over the past decade. This increase highlights the Government's dedication to enhancing farmers’ income and fostering sustainable development in agriculture, he added.

The Minister noted that in recent developments, the MSP of wheat has also been increased by ₹150 as per a recent Union Cabinet decision, marking another milestone in the Government's ongoing initiatives to bolster farmers’ welfare. The Minister further assured the farming community that every possible measure is being undertaken to ensure efficient crop procurement across Punjab.

The Union Minister's comprehensive review with FCI officials marks an important step in addressing farmers' concerns in Punjab and seeks to reaffirm the Government's unwavering support to Punjab’s agricultural backbone, in securing farmers’ livelihoods and strengthening the state’s agricultural economy.

The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shri Pralhad Joshi had held a Press Conference today on the measures taken by the Government of India, to ensure seamless paddy and Custom Milled Rice (CMR) procurement in the state of Punjab. The Minister reiterated that the target of 185 LMT fixed for Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25 will be fully procured and not a single grain of paddy will be left unprepared. The Minister also announced that an online portal for grievance redressal of rice millers will be launched shortly so that any difficulties faced by the stakeholders can be addressed promptly. More details can be found here: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2068671

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PIB Chandigarh | DJM / AK / Roos