Rice collection at 55% of target

Rice collection in the state in the current financial year has fallen short of the target by nearly half. Out of the target of 3.09 million tonnes of rice, the actual collection has been only 1.70 million tonnes till March 15 this year, which is an achievement of only 55 per cent of the target.

According to Sarada Prasad Nayak, minister for food supplies and consumer welfare, the rice collection has been particularly lacklustre in Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj and Sonepur where the collection is less than 50 per cent.

In Angul district, the collection was 2452 tonnes which means an achievement of only 11 per cent of the target of 22,500 tonnes.

 

On the other hand, in Mayurbhanj district, the actual collection of rice stood at 10589 tonnes which was hardly 22 per cent of the target of 48000 tonnes set for this district.

Similarly, the achievement has been 31 per cent in Balasore, 46 per cent in Bhadrak, 39 per cent in Dhenkanal, 33 per cent in Ganjam, 49 per cent in Kalahandi and 48 per cent in Sonepur.

Kandhamal district has overshot the rice collection target, registering an achievement of 101 per cent. Out of the targeted 3000 tonnes, the actual collection in this district was 3031 tonnes.

Other districts which have fared well are Rayagada (86 per cent), Nawarangpur (91 per cent), Jharsuguda (91 per cent) and Jagatsinghpur (85 per cent).

It may be noted that Food Corporation of India (FCI), which was allotted a rice collection target of 200,000 tonnes, has lifted only 5821 tonnes of rice. Similarly, Markfed's actual collection has been only 87389 tonnes out of its assigned target of 400,000 tonnes. Nafed, too, fared poorly, with its actual rice collection being only 82587 tonnes as against the target of 400,000 tonnes.

The collection by the Orissa State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) stood at 1.48 million tonnes out of the targeted 1.77 million tonnes.