The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Food Security,headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee,is likely to meet on Friday to assess the prospects of the ongoing wheat procurement and deliberate the outlook for the forthcoming rice crop. Official statistics suggest an increase of about 13 per cent in wheat procurement,to 142.85 lakh tonnes till date,as against 126.40 lakh tonnes procured in the corresponding period last year. However,the procurement of rice,which suffered a dip in production due to the drought last year,has dipped marginally to 26.08 million tonnes against 26.95 million tones procured in the same period last year. While the government expects a good wheat harvest this year,its hopes are pinned on monsoon for the paddy crop,which had suffered a shortfall of about 60 lakh hectares acreage last year because of deficient rains. The Met Department is likely to brief Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar before the EGoM meeting on Friday to help him apprise the meeting about the next paddy crop. The EGoM is also expected to discuss the draft Food Security Bill in the light of the Planning Commissions decision to consider Suresh Tendulkar Committees recommendation of poverty estimates for the purposes of the legislation.
