In the current marketing year 2014-15 the procurement of rice by government agencies continues to lag. The government agencies has procured 15.14 million tonnes (MT) so far compared with 16 MT in the year-ago period. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies undertake procurement of rice and wheat to ensure that farmers get a Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The procurement of rice in state of Punjab has been 7.78 MT so far this year compared to 8.10 MT in the year-ago period while in Haryana it reached 1.99 MT as against 2.4 MT in the review period. Rice purchase touched 1.24 MT in Telangana and 483,000 tonnes in Andhra Pradesh so far this year, as compared with 1.49 MT of rice procurement in undivided Andhra Pradesh in the same period last year.
Rice marketing year runs from October to September and the annual procurement target for this year is 30 MT. Kharif rice procurement was 26.6 MT last year as against the target of 32.06 MT.