Harikishan Sharma
With record low wheat procurement expected this rabi season, the Center on Wednesday reduced the allocation of wheat to some states and union territories under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) till September. However, to retain the overall figure, the reduced wheat quota will be replaced by rice allocation. As per the revised allocation, three states – Bihar, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh – will not get any wheat for free distribution under PMGKAY.
Apart from this, the wheat quota of eight other states – Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and West Bengal – has been reduced. There has been no change in the wheat allocation for the remaining 25 states and union territories. “It has been decided to revise the PMKGAY allocation of rice and wheat for all 36 states/UTs for the remaining five months from May to September,” the Union Food Ministry said in a communication to the states.
Addressing the press conference, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said, “About 55 lakh metric tonnes of rice will be allocated additionally and an equal amount of wheat will be saved.” Pandey also said that the amendment is only for PMGKAY, however, discussions are on with the states on allocation under the National Food Security Act-2013. “If some states want to take more rice under NFSA, we will consider their request,” he said.
After the amendment, the total wheat allocation per month under PMGKAY will come down from 18.21-LMT to 7.12-LMT. Similarly, rice allocation per month will increase from 21.64 LMT to 32.73 LMT. However, the combined allocation of wheat and rice to the states will remain the same at 39.86 LMT. The ministry has estimated procurement of 195 lakh MT of wheat, which is much lower than the initial target of 444 lakh MT and last year’s actual procurement of 433 lakh MT.
The data shared by the food ministry shows that at the beginning of the financial year 2022-23, the wheat stock stood at 190LMT and the fresh estimated procurement of 195 LMT would take the total stock to 385 LMT. After distribution under various welfare schemes, around 80 LMT of wheat will be in stock at the end of the financial year, which is more than the minimum stocking norm of 75 LMT.
Pandey said the production of wheat during this year is estimated at 1,050 LMT, which is lower than the earlier estimate of 1,113 LMT. To procure less wheat, the ministry said that more farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat are selling produce to traders/exporters at prices higher than MSP. It also said “Punjab, Haryana, UP have less production due to onset of summer and dry grains.”