The official reserves of foodgrains—rice, wheat, paddy in terms of rice—with FCI were 83.78 million tonnes (mt) as of February 1, up 18 per cent from 70.92 mt a year ago. The comfortable position may help the government to tide over any crisis in case there is a below expectation procurement of wheat, experts said.
“As there was some wheat allocation got reduced and replaced with same quantity of rice in the past, such a possibility always exists. But the situation will be clear by end of May as how much quantity of wheat the government will be able to buy,” an official source said, adding the stock position of rice is more than comfortable for the government.
According to latest data, wheat stock maintained by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) was higher by 22 per cent at 16.17 mt as on February 1 from 13.27 mt in the year-ago period. Similarly, the stockpiles of rice is also higher by 17 per cent at 67.6 mt now as against 57.66 mt in year-ago. The rice stock also includes 50.15 mt of unmilled paddy (in terms of rice).
Record wheat sales
The Centre had sold a record 10 mt of wheat under the open market sale scheme (OMSS) in 2023-24 to effectively control price rise in wheat. However, there was negligible offtake in case of rice even as the government was ready to offer as much quantity as possible under the OMSS. But this year the government started wheat sales late and is now aggressively offloading the grain to bring down prices.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Food Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya said in the Rajya Sabha that rice is being offered for sale to ethanol distilleries at a fixed price of ₹2,250/- per quintal (pan-India) for a total quantity not exceeding 24 lakh tonnes as per current OMSS(D) policy. The supply of FCI rice can be carried out to ethanol distilleries in both deficit and surplus states all through the year.
In case of shortage in supply of ethanol produced from maize/other category of feedstock, as allotted during ESY 2024-25, the shortfall can be met from ethanol produced using FCI rice, she said and added that tender under Cycle 3 (C3) for the supply of about 110 crore litres of ethanol during ethanol supply year 2024-25 (November-October) should be restricted to ethanol produced using FCI rice.
