States/UTs asked to lift food grains for three months in advance

NEW DELHI: Govt has asked states and UTs to lift from the Central Pool rice and wheat under the free foodgrain scheme for three months in advance (till June) and distribute them to beneficiaries immediately. This directive comes as govt warehouses are brimming with rice and wheat stocks and little space is available for storing the fresh procurement of wheat which will start in the next few weeks.“In view of upcoming procurement season in the country and consequent bottlenecks faced by states/UTs for efficient logistics and storage, it has been decided that states/UTs will lift the foodgrains allocated up to June 2026 under NFSA in advance and distribute them among the beneficiaries immediately,” the food ministry said in a communication to state food secretaries.It also directed Food Corporation of India (FCI) to ensure sufficient availability of foodgrains in its godowns. The FCI has also been asked to coordinate with states for necessary steps to ensure advance lifting of foodgrains.As of Thursday, FCI has rice stock of 37.2 million tonnes (MTs) and wheat stock of 23.5 MTs. Officials said the combined stock of the two foodgrains is around 60.7 MTs, which is 185% more than the required buffer of 21 MTs as of April 1. The current stock excludes around 39 MT of rice yet to be received from millers.Officials said the advance one-time distribution of foodgrains to over 80 crore beneficiaries will serve a dual purpose — increasing space availability for storing freshly procured foodgrains and reducing stress on supply chain at a time when govt is working to tide over energy-related issues due to the war in West Asia.Due to the current open-ended policy for procurement, rice stocks in the central pool are rising despite the govt offloading the key foodgrain in the open market, liberal allocations to states and even supplies for ethanol manufacturing.