The Government expects to procure about 34.5
million tonnes (mt) of rice in the coming marketing season beginning October.
This is marginally higher than 33.85 mt procured in the last year. The Government
had procured about 38.73 mt of paddy last year.
Rice production in the current kharif aided by
good monsoon may touch a record high, according to Agriculture Ministry
expectations. Last year, the kharif rice output stood at 92.76 mt., according to
latest Government estimates. Total rice production last year stood at 104.40
mt., marginally lower than previous year 105.3 mt.
In the current kharif, rice has been planted on
196.38 lakh hectares (lh.) as on July 26, against corresponding last year 184.24 (lh.)
States such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh have
reported a higher acreage this year, while the Eastern States such as West
Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh had registered a lower area.
Rice stocks in the Central pool stood at 31.50 mt
as on July 1.