Question : Procurement of Wheat

(a) whether the recent extension of Food Safety Act to some more States is likely to lead to an increase in demand of foodgrains including wheat;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the targeted and actual procurement of wheat by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and other Government agencies during the recent harvesting season, so far; and
(d) whether the said procurement is adequate to meet the requirement under various welfare schemes including the National Food Security Act, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor alongwith the corrective measures taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI RAM VILAS PASWAN)
(a) & (b): Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the requirement of foodgrains is around 61 million tons for Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) of the Government of India which include around 27 million tons of wheat as against the requirement of around 20 million tons of wheat under the erstwhile normal TPDS and OWS. So far 33 out of 36 States/Union Territories (UTs) have implemented NFSA.
(c) & (d): The procurement target of wheat during the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2016-17 is 30.5 million tons. The procurement as on 21.04.2016 was 14.58 million tons which shows an increase of 9.70 million tons over the previous year. As per the trend of procurement of wheat during current RMS, there may be adequate procurement of wheat to meet the requirement under various Welfare Schemes including NFSA.
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