Govt to keep tabs on basmati procurement

The government has made it mandatory for individuals or firms procuring basmati rice in excess of 10,000 tonnes to declare their stocks.

A notification issued by the Food Ministry has asked private traders to inform their respective state governments on a weekly basis as a means to keep a tab on rice procurements that are in excess of 10,000 tonnes. It had issued a similar notification for wheat early this year.

In the latest notification, rice is defined as "mature kernels, or pieces of kernels or Oryza sativa Linn, obtained from paddy as raw or parboiled."

Basmati rice is also part of Oryza sativa Linn, Indian Agricultural Research Institute Genetics Head K B Prabhu said.

"Any company or firm or individual who purchases paddy (in terms of rice) or rice in excess of 10,000 tonnes (total purchases made throughout the country) during the kharif marketing season 2007-08 (October-September), shall furnish to the secretary, Department of Food of the state from where the maximum quantity has been purchased."

If the procurement of paddy or rice exceeds 25,000 tonnes, the returns shall be furnished to the Centre, the notification said.

The Food Ministry has also asked the state governments to submit a report to the Centre on the stock declaration by private sector every month.

The mandatory declaration of stock position on a weekly basis is valid till this month-end. After that returns have to be filed on last Friday of every month till September 2008.

Rice procurement by Food Corporation of India declined to 94.93 lakh tonnes as on December 3 against 101.27 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period last year. The government has set target of 276 lakh tonnes of rice procurement this season.