NEW DELHI, 10 May 2020: During the Rabi marketing season 2020-21, Food Corporation of India (FCI) has procured a total of 233.51 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, of the 241.36 lakh metric tonnes of wheat arrived.
This was revealed by the agriculture ministry, which in a statement said that the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is taking several measures to facilitate farmers and farming activities at field level during the lockdown period.
During the Rabi season 2020-21, a total of 3206 designated procurement centers for Rabi pulses and oilseeds are available in eleven states.
Procurement of pulses & oilseeds
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) also procured 2.74 lakh metric tonnes of gram (chana) from nine States namely Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
During the current Rabi season, it also purchased 3.40 lakh metric tonnes of mustard from five states namely Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana.
The agency also purchased 700 metric tonnes of sunflower has been procured from Telangana and 1.71 lakh metric tonnes of toor from eight states namely Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Odisha.
Sowing area coverage of summer crops
Rice sowing has recorded an increase in about 34.87 lakh ha area coverage under summer rice as compared to 25.29 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year, while pulses sowing too have nearly doubled at 10.35 lakh ha area coverage under pulses as compared to 5.92 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year.
Coarse Cereals sowing during the current Rabi season is recorded above 9.57 lakh ha area coverage under coarse cereals as compared to 6.20 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year and oilseeds sowing has increased to about 9.17 lakh ha area coverage under oilseeds as compared to 7.09 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year.
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