India: Wheat lifting takes toll on rice procurement in Punjab

Chandigarh: The ongoing wheat procurement in Punjab is taking its toll on rice lifting as paddy milling has been cut down by 70 to 80% by the state rice millers who have accused Food Corporation of India (FCI) of opting for the wheat crop.

With the state yet to fulfil its commitment to supply 43 lakh tonne of rice for 2010-11, Punjab rice millers have sought more time for providing the foodgrain due to delay in paddy milling. "We have not been able to mill paddy as FCI is not accepting rice from us. As a direct fallout of it, paddy milling for the month of April has come down by 70-80%," Punjab Rice Millers Association, president, Tarsem Saini said.

Rice millers, who gave 18 lakh tonne of rice for the month of March to FCI are finding it hard to deposit rice for April.

Only 5.80 lakh tonne of rice has been supplied for the month of April which is just 33% of last month's contribution. “We are ready to deliver our share of rice but FCI is simply not accepting the same,” Saini alleged.

Punjab is also a major contributor of rice as it contributes close to 40% of output to the Central pool.

Rice Millers have also blamed the inadequate storage facility in the state for slow procurement of rice from the Punjab.

"The available covered space in Punjab is already occupied by huge rice stocks of the earlier period which left little space for storing new rice crop,” a rice miller rued.

Punjab is saddled with rice stock of 61 lakh tonne as on April 1 this year, which is occupying 65% of the state's covered space. Unlike wheat, rice is always stored in covered space to prevent it from any damage.

"In the wake of slow procurement of rice, we want that deadline for delivering rice be extended from May 15 to July 15 (for 2009-10 crop) and from June 30 to September 30 (for 2010-11 crop),” said Saini. FCI attributed “slow” procurement of rice from Punjab to the ongoing wheat procurement in the state.

"Majority of our staff is busy in wheat lifting operations underway in the state (Punjab). Moreover, the labour and transporters are also engaged in the process which started this month, an official of FCI (Punjab) said. Wheat procurement in Punjab starts from April 1.

(Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/wheat-lifting-takes-toll-on-rice-procurement-in-punjab/780062/0)