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

Procurement of foodgrains by the Centre to the central pool for distribution by means of the general public distribution process and meeting any foodstuff emergency has so much been “normal and smooth”, Union Minister holding charge of Consumer, Foodstuff and Community Distribution Piyush Goyal told Parliament today.

“There has been no deficit in the procurement of foodgrain towards stocking norms. In fact, it is a surplus,” Goyal, who holds charge of Railways, Commerce and Marketplace portfolios, told the Lok Sabha.

He was responding to a issue on the impact of the agitation by a part of the farmers because November-finish last 12 months towards the new farm laws handed by Parliament in September last 12 months.

However the Authorities faced issues in procurement because of to novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it had purchased sixty seven.seventy five million tonnes (mt) of paddy as of March 11 this 12 months when compared with 59.35 mt through the exact period a 12 months back.

Foodgrain shares ended up bigger than the statutory stocking norms, he reported.

one.sixty six crore farmers with eNAM

The Centre’s initiative in launching an digital countrywide agricultural market (eNAM) has resulted in one,000 market yards (mandis) in 18 States and 3 union territories integrating with it, the Lok Sabha was informed.

So much, one.sixty six crore farmers have registered to trade on eNAM alongside with one,012 farmer producer organisation (FPOs) and one.31 lakh traders, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar told the Lok Sabha in a composed reply.

The minister reported one hundred seventy five commodities, together with foodgrains, oilseeds, fruits and veggies ended up traded on eNAM system right until May last 12 months with farmers transacting small business more than Rs a person lakh crore.

Some 34.three million tonnes of commodities have been traded on eNAM, apart from three.eighty one million bamboo and coconuts.

According to details presented in the response, Uttar Pradesh accounted for the largest selection of farmers registered with eNAM at 33 lakh, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 30 lakh and Haryana at 27.2 lakh.