The central government on Tuesday informed Parliament that the central government currently has surplus stocks of rice and wheat for the public distribution system and social welfare schemes for the poor. The Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhania in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, stated that the total stock of rice and wheat as of July 1 is 736.61 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), whereas the buffer stock requirement for both cereals is 411.2 lakh metric tonnes.
Supply of Food Grains at Cheap Prices
While presenting the clear picture of available stocks with the government, the minister said that the current stock of rice stands at 377.83 lakh metric tonnes, while the requirement is 135.40 lakh metric tonnes. Similarly, the wheat stock is 358.78 lakh metric tonnes, which also exceeds the requirement which is 275.80 lakh metric tonnes.
The Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution explained that these surplus stocks are released when prices start rising to increase the supply of foodgrains in the market to control inflation.
Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice at Subsidised Rates
Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice were launched on November 6, 2023, and February 6, 2024, respectively to help general consumers get both wheat and flour at subsidised rates under the open market sale scheme (OMSS).
For the current marketing season, the government has fixed MSP of Rs 2425 per quintal for wheat.