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Efforts underway to transport produce out of Punjab, says Bittu
The minister informed that from April to October, 95.16 LMT of paddy and wheat have been transported from Punjab through 2,684 dedicated rake movements, freeing up additional storage capacity in the state
Union minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu held a meeting with officials of Food Corporation of India (FCI) here to review the movement and procurement of foodgrain in Punjab.
Punjab FCI general manager B. Srinivasan and other senior FCI officials informed Bittu that the state’s paddy production is estimated to reach 212 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) this Kharif season, with approximately 49.88 LMT having been procured already.
It was informed to the minister that Punjab currently benefits from a robust total storage capacity of 133.57 LMT, which includes FCI-owned storage capacity of 34.34 LMT and an additional 99.23 LMT of hired 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.
After the meeting, Bittu said that efforts were underway to transport produce out of Punjab, with 95 LMT paddy already lifted from the state as of October 24. “From April to October, 95.16 LMT of paddy and wheat have been transported from Punjab through 2,684 dedicated rake movements, freeing up additional storage capacity in the state,” he informed.
The minister said that for smooth procurement of rice, the FCI at present has a vacant space of around 15 LMT and around 40 LMT space is to be created by December. Also, 90 LMT space will be created by March next year.
He said that earlier, the allotment of storage for paddy and wheat was done separately, but this time, permission has been given to store paddy instead of wheat wherever required.
Bittu emphasised that ₹44,000 crore has been allocated for MSP payments to ensure that farmers receive fair and timely remuneration for their produce, adding that while the Centre has fulfilled its fiscal responsibilities, it is now incumbent upon the Punjab government to ensure that the funds reach farmers within 24 hours of procurement.
The minister reiterated that the target of 185 LMT fixed for Kharif marketing season 2024-25 will be fully procured and not a single grain of paddy will be left unprepared.
He also announced that an online portal for grievance redressal of rice millers will be launched soon to address difficulties faced by the stakeholders.
