New Delhi [India], August 23 (ANI): A quantity of 521.27 lakh tonne rice has been estimated for procurement during the forthcoming Kharif marketing season 2023-24 as against the previous year's estimates of 518 lakh tonne, an official release from the ministry said Wednesday.

Wherein 496 lakh tonne was actually procured during the 2022-23 season. 

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During 2023-24, the leading States in terms of estimated procurement of rice are Punjab (122 LMT), Chhattisgarh (61 LMT) and Telangana (50 LMT) followed by Odisha (44.28 LMT), Uttar Pradesh (44 LMT), Haryana (40 LMT), Madhya Pradesh (34 LMT), Bihar (30 LMT), Andhra Pradesh (25 LMT), West Bengal (24 LMT) and Tamil Nadu (15 LMT).

The Secretary Department of Food and Public Distribution chaired a meeting of State Food Secretaries and Food Corporation of India (FCI) on Monday, to discuss the procurement arrangements.

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Farmers in India have sown Kharif crops across 1022.51 lakh hectares so far this year, as against 1021.48 lakh hectares in the same period of last year, according to the latest data from the Agriculture Ministry. On a yearly basis, the sowing is largely steady according to the data from the Ministry.

Commodity-wise, paddy sowing is at 360.79 lakh hectares, as against 345.79 lakh hectares same period last year. India in July amended the rice export norms by putting Non-Basmati white rice, a major export item, in the "prohibited" category.

Besides, a quantity of 33.09 lakh tonne of coarse grains /millets (Shri Anna) has been estimated for procurement by the States during the 2023-24 season as against actual procurement of 7.37 LMT during 2022-23 (Kharif and Rabi included). Year 2023 was declared the International Year of Millet-2023.  

During the meeting, issues relating to gunny bags requirement, route optimization for transportation of foodgrains from designated depots to Fair Price Shops, improving infrastructure in procurement centres, and monitoring of wheat stock limit portal were also discussed.

India has three cropping seasons -- Summer, Kharif, and Rabi.

Crops that are sown during October and November and the produce harvested from January-March depending on maturity are Rabi. Crops sown during June-July and dependent on monsoon rains are harvested in October-November are kharif. Crops produced between Rabi and Kharif are Summer crops. (ANI)

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