Parliament Question: MSP in Kharif Marketing Season

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4288 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18Tll MARCH, 2026 MSP IN KHARIF MARKETING SEASON

4288. DR. D. PURANDESWARI:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC

DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

(a): the quantum of foodgrains procured from the Rajahmundry at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) during the last Kharif marketing season;

(b): the details of the new silo storage capacities created in Rajahmundry Lok Sabha Constituency to prevent the wastage of maize due to moisture and floods;

(c) : whether the Food Corporation of India (FCI) plans to set up direct procurement centres in Rajahmundry Lok Sabha Constituency and if so, the details thereof;

(d) : the status of the ethanol production incentives for maize-based distilleries in the region to ensure remunerative prices for farmers; and

(e): the details of the steps taken by the Government to distribute fortified rice and maize through the PDS system to combat malnutrition in the district? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRiBUTION (SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

(a): The procurement in Andhra Pradesh is undertaken on De-centralized procurement (DCP) mode and the State Govt agency, Andhra Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited

(APSCSCL) undertakes procurement of paddy and coarse grains from the farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP). The quantum of paddy procured in Rajahmundry District at MSP during the last Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25 are given below :

Quantity procured (in MTs) Kharif crop Rabi Crop Total 2,57,501 3,53,518 6,11,019 No procurement of coarse grain was made during the last KMS .(b): As per APSCSCL, only paddy, jowar and ragi are procured from farmers at MSP in Andhra Pradesh. No storage/procurement operations with regard to maize are undertaken.

(c): Andhra Pradesh, being a DCP state, the procurement in the state is carried out by the State Govt agencies and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is not directly involved in the procurement operations or setting up of procurement centers.

(d): in order to promote the usage of maize for ethanol production, Oil Marketing Companies

(OMCs) announced an incentive of Rs. 5.79 per litre over and above the regular price of Rs. 66.07 per litre, on ethanol produced from maize with effect from 05.01.2024 during Ethanol Supply Year 2023-24 (Nov – Oct). Thus, price of maize based ethanol has been increased from Rs. 66.07 per litre to Rs. 71.86 per litre from ESY 2023-24 onwards.

Maize based ethanol commands the highest price amongst all other feedstocks for ethanol production, leading to increased demand of maize for ethanol. This has not only ensured more cultivation of maize by farmers but has also ensured better prices to maize farmers for their crop.

(e): Under Public Distribution System (PDS), only Fortified Rice is distributed from the financial year 2023-24. Govt. of India launched a scheme of fortification of rice and its distribution to address the problem of anemia and malnutrition among vulnerable section of society. The Government of India began a pilot programme in year 2019 for rice fortification as a complementary strategy to combat iron deficiency anaemia among the population. It was implemented for three years and targeted 11 districts in 11 states. The initiative was scaled up in three phases - Phase 1 (2021-22) covering ICDS and PM-POSHAN; Phase-I1 (2022-23) covering ICDS, PM-POSHAN and 291 Aspirational and High Burden districts under TPDS; and Phase-III (2023-24) covering ICDS, PM- Poshan and all districts under TPDS. By March, 2024, all custom milled rice under food safety net was replaced with fortified rice and since then only fortified rice is being distributed under Prdhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PMGKAY) and Other Welfare Schemes of the Government of India SeSeRSe