Foodgrains procurement “normal”, “smooth” despite farmers protests, says Centre

Procurement of foodgrains by the Centre to the central pool for distribution by the general public distribution method and assembly any foods crisis has so far been “normal and smooth”, Union Minister holding cost of Shopper, Foodstuff and General public Distribution Piyush Goyal instructed Parliament these days.

“There has been no deficit in the procurement of foodgrain versus stocking norms. In fact, it is a surplus,” Goyal, who retains cost of Railways, Commerce and Sector portfolios, instructed the Lok Sabha.

He was responding to a issue on the impact of the agitation by a part of the farmers since November-close final year versus the new farm legislation handed by Parliament in September final year.

However the Federal government faced challenges in procurement because of to novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it experienced purchased 67.seventy five million tonnes (mt) of paddy as of March eleven this year as opposed with fifty nine.35 mt in the course of the same period of time a year ago.

Foodgrain stocks were higher than the statutory stocking norms, he mentioned.

1.66 crore farmers with eNAM

The Centre’s initiative in launching an electronic nationwide agricultural industry (eNAM) has resulted in 1,000 industry yards (mandis) in 18 States and 3 union territories integrating with it, the Lok Sabha was knowledgeable.

So far, 1.66 crore farmers have registered to trade on eNAM along with 1,012 farmer producer organisation (FPOs) and 1.31 lakh traders, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar instructed the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The minister mentioned one hundred seventy five commodities, which include foodgrains, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables were traded on eNAM platform right until May possibly final year with farmers transacting enterprise over Rs one lakh crore.

Some 34.3 million tonnes of commodities have been traded on eNAM, moreover 3.eighty one million bamboo and coconuts.

According to knowledge supplied in the reaction, Uttar Pradesh accounted for the greatest variety of farmers registered with eNAM at 33 lakh, adopted by Madhya Pradesh at thirty lakh and Haryana at 27.2 lakh.