Under the National Food Security Act, Karnataka received 2.17 lakh metric tonnes (LMTs) of foodgrains per month upto June FY23, as against the all-India allocation of 371.53 LMT of foodgrains, said Bhupendra Singh Bhati, General Manager, at Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) Karnataka office in Bengaluru.
Also, for the last one year, a quantity of 1.69 LMTs of fortified rice has been issued from depots under the divisional offices of FCI Karnataka, under various welfare schemes. “There is no damaged foodgrain stocks accrued in Karnataka region in the past one year,’‘ Mr. Bhati observed.
For the last one year, a quantity of 22,24,404 MTs of non-fortified rice has been issued under various government schemes and also for ethanol production in Karnataka. For 2022-23, a total of 43.85 LMT of food grains has been moved to the State. During 2023-24, a total of 6.03 LMT of foodgrains has been moved into the State till June 2023. Also, a total of 0.05 LMT of foodgrain stocks were moved to UT Lakshadweep islands from Mangalore port by ocean vessels for the PDS beneficiaries during the FY 2022-23, he added.
As on July 1, 2023, the stock position of rice in Karnataka was 6.49 lakh metric tonnes and in respect of wheat it was 0.63 LMT agains the all India stock position of rice and wheat at 253.49 LMT and 301.45 LMT, respectively. he said.
Karnataka produced 9.93 LMT of ragi and 1.22 LMT of jowar during Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22 and procured 4.04 LMT of ragi and 1.03 LMT of jowar. In KMS 2022-23, 11.54 LMT of ragi and 1.76 LMT of Jowar was produced and 4.544 LMTof Ragi and 0.76 LMT of Jowar was procured.
Ragi to other States
“It is worth mentioning that Karnataka has moved ragi to deficit States. In respect of Andhra Pradesh, a quantity of 22,707 MT has been moved till July 17. A quantity of 991 MT were moved to Kerala and a quantity of 2639 MT has been moved to Tamil Nadu,’‘ Mr. Bhati added.
Mr. Bhati further said, FCI would offload wheat and rice to private buyers under the Open Market Sale scheme OMSS (Domestic) via e-auction on every Wednesday to keep the retail price under check. Addressing the media here on Wednesday, he said the reserve price of wheat has been fixed at ₹ 2,150 per quintal for Fair and Average Quality (FAQ) and ₹ 2,125 per quintal for Under Relaxed Specifications (URS) variety, for pan India up to December 31, 2023.
The reserve price of rice has been fixed at ₹ 3,100 per quintal and (₹73 per quintal shall be added to the reserve price for Fortified Rice) for private parties across the country up to October 31, 2023.
