6 months ago
3
The caller contention successful Tamil Nadu implicit paddy procurement during the short-term kuruvai play has lone strengthened the request for a relook astatine the procurement strategy of foodgrains arsenic a whole. In this lawsuit — arsenic successful galore States — the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC), which procures paddy connected behalf of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), recovered itself successful a spot due to the fact that of clip overruns and charges of corruption. One of the reasons cited is the emergence successful the sum of the harvest during the season, by astir 2 lakh acres, which was known arsenic aboriginal arsenic mid-August. This is due to the fact that farmers consciousness it is simply a harmless stake to turn paddy alternatively than different crops owed to minimum assured returns.
Paddy procurement data
The glut is not restricted to Tamil Nadu. Going by the information of the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the procurement of paddy (in presumption of rice) each implicit the state was astir 119.86 lakh tonnes arsenic connected October 31, 2025 compared to 82.08 lakh tonnes connected the corresponding time past year. In the past 3 years, with respect to atom and wheat, the quarterly opening banal position, arsenic connected October 1, was consistently higher than what is prescribed nether the norms for the cardinal pool. In the lawsuit of rice, the quantity is astatine slightest 2 times much than the requirement. In October this year, the banal was 356.1 lakh tonnes against the norm of 102.5 lakh tonnes.
Compared to wheat, atom is inactive abundant, if 1 goes by the Union government’s information for the past 3 years connected procurement and offtake nether the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and different schemes. Between April 2022 and March 2025, the procurement of atom astatine the all-India level hovered astir 525 lakh tonnes-547 lakh tonnes each year, whereas yearly offtake nether the Public Distribution System (PDS) was successful the scope of 392 lakh tonnes- 427 lakh tonnes.
Significantly, successful the lawsuit of wheat, the utilisation nether the PDS exceeded the quantity of procurement successful 2 of the past 3 years (barring 2024-25). At the aforesaid time, it indispensable beryllium noted that the Union authorities spends astir ₹2 lakh crore each twelvemonth successful nutrient subsidy.
While, connected the 1 hand, the state is grappling with surplus stocks of rice, connected the different it is incurring a immense expenditure successful the import of pulses and oilseeds, which are 2 indispensable commodities that are cardinal successful each Indian household. Ironically, successful the lawsuit of pulses, India is the largest shaper successful the satellite — 252.4 lakh tonnes successful 2024-25. The 2 years, from 2023-24, saw a important autumn successful the procurement of notified pulses astatine minimum enactment prices (MSP) done agencies which included the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India.
Edible lipid imports
According to the yearly study of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for 2024-25, the state imported edible lipid (₹1.2 lakh crore) and pulses (₹30,000 crore) during 2023-24. In the lawsuit of edible oil, astir 55% of the request is met lone done imports. Needless to say, the Russia-Ukraine war, which began successful February 2022, is simply a origin that contributed to the steep emergence successful the outgo of edible lipid imports which was astir ₹82,000 crore successful 2020-21, though the quantity imported remained betwixt 135 lakh tonnes-157 lakh tonnes a twelvemonth successful the past six years.
Ironically, the country’s accumulation of oilseeds, since 2014, crossed the 400-lakh-tonne people lone once, contempt determination being nary ample alteration successful the country covered, which was astir 25 cardinal hectares. For astir 25 years, experts and the media person been holding the government’s determination successful the 1990s to let the import of cheaper edible lipid liable for the adverse effect connected home production. Yet, the effect to antagonistic the interaction has not been adequate.
The concern raises a cardinal question: whether the country, successful the sanction of ensuring nutrient security, is pursuing a sustainable argumentation of procurement astatine slightest with respect to rice. It besides raises different pertinent questions. Is paddy cultivation being encouraged astatine the outgo of harvest rotation? Also, wherefore is it that the country’s efforts to amended pulse and oilseed accumulation person not been spectacular dissimilar successful the lawsuit of paddy and wheat astir 55 years ago? And, should India proceed to person the existing statement of 1 oregon the different cardinal bureau successful the procurement, storage, proscription and allocation of foodgrains successful bulk to the States?
The authorities whitethorn protest, if immoderate survey is conducted with respect to leakage successful the PDS (which was primitively meant for managing nutrient supplies during scarcity), arsenic they did astir a twelvemonth agone erstwhile an Indian Council for Research connected International Economic Relations (ICRIER) study had stated that determination was astir a 28% nonaccomplishment of atom and wheat during distribution. It is besides good known that the strategy is acold from perfect.
Incentivise harvest diversification
To wean paddy-growing farmers from the cereal, harvest diversification tin beryllium tried retired aft carrying retired area-specific marketplace studies of request and proviso with the engagement of each stakeholder. . One crushed wherefore farmers person not taken to diversification successful a large mode is uncertainty astir occurrence if determination is simply a harvest switch. Their apprehension tin beryllium allayed lone by offering fiscal enactment and due guidance. As it is wide that the state is producing much atom than required, the authorities should let farmers to freely export atom and not edifice to restrictions successful a knee-jerk manner.
Many a time, superior procurers of cultivation products are successful the acheronian astir the suppliers. For instance, papad manufacturers getting to tie-up straight with farmers who rise blackgram oregon person the means to bash so, volition effect successful a win-win concern for both. If specified farmers are capable to organise themselves arsenic farmers producers’ organisations (FPOs), the results volition beryllium much durable. The Centre and the States tin facilitate specified an arrangement.
As an institution, FPOs are inactive successful a nascent stage. Their services tin beryllium tapped by the authorities for a scope of purposes — educating farmers astir ungraded health; sensitising them to spell successful for harvest diversification; preparing the groundwork for marketplace studies, and establishing the proviso chain.
As successful West Bengal, FPOs tin beryllium utilised for paddy procurement to trim the load connected existing players. Self-help groups and cooperative societies should besides beryllium encouraged much successful this respect. Wherever required, each specified caller entrants should beryllium covered nether capableness gathering programmes.
Changes successful specified a analyzable strategy cannot hap overnight but a opening tin beryllium made. It is clip that agriculture experts, farmers, nutrient information specialists, argumentation makers and planners collectively deliberated connected ways to plug the loopholes successful the system, if not betterment it.
ramakrishnan.t@thehindu.co.in
