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Agriculture Minister rules out import of wheat
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NewsByte on 23 April, 2008 10:33:00
 
New Delhi: Riding high on the record harvesting estimates of food grains
production in the year 2007-08 and on going wheat procurement by the Center,
Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar today ruled out import of wheat this
year and expressed his confidence that the prices of essential food items would
be lower in the coming times. He was addressing agriculture ministers of states
in the Capital today.
As per the estimates for the year 2007-08, which was released on Tuesday, the
total food grains production would be 227.32 million tonnes -- 10.04 million
tonnes higher than the final estimate of 2006-07. Production of rice estimated
as 95.68 mt (2.5 per cent increase), wheat as 76.78 mt (1.3 per cent increase)
and of coarse cereals as 39.67 mt (17 per cent increase).
Giving details of the ongoing procurement, Pawar said that government had
purchased about 94 per cent of total wheat coming for sale in mandies (markets)
of wheat producing states.
"In the last ten days we have procured 86.25 lakh tonnes of wheat. 99.2 per
cent wheat of Punjab and 99.9 per cent of Haryana, which come to sale, has been
purchased in last ten days. We are very confident the target of procuring 150
lakh tonnes wheat will be easily achieved," said the Minister.
The government has fixed the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat at Rs 1000
this year. Pawar attributed this as one of the reason behind the good
procurement in 2008. Calling on the states to enhance the MSP for more assured
procurement, the Agriculture Minister said that this would lessen the burden of
subsidy on Centre. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have already announced a bonus
of Rs 100 on MSP for wheat to the farmers.
Pawar said that in view of diminishing global food stocks, India cannot afford
to depend on imports which has been consuming the precious foreign exchange. In
last two years, India had spent about Rs 7740 crore on import of food items to
maintain buffer stock.
"In recently concluded Indo-African summit almost all state heads pleaded that
India should provide some assistance in the form of food items. FAO (Food and
Agriculture Organisation) has also indicated that food grains position will be
very serious in next 4-5 years. We have seen food riots in various countries,"
said Pawar.
"India, having such a vast population base, cannot depend on imports. Rather we
should work collectively that we can export food grains to world and earn," he
said and added that it is quite possible in respect of good grain production
expected in 2008.