Exports can wait,need to ensure foodgrains to poor first: Minister

On Union Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar’s suggestion to open wheat exports,Thomas said exporting wheat is a major policy decision that has to be taken keeping food security of the country in mind. “Till that happens,the priority is to ensure foodgrains to the poor. Under the Food Security Act we have to provide 35 kg foodgrains to a large number of poor families. This would require us to have adequate buffer stocks,” he said.

Since Punjab and Haryana together contribute over 70 per cent to the central pool – Punjab alone contributes 44 per cent wheat and 28 per cent rice to the central pool – a total of 88 lakh tonnes storage space will come up in the two states under the private entrepreneurship guarantee programme in three years – 50 lakh tonnes in Punjab and 38 lakh tonnes in Haryana. For silos,the states will meet the Planning Commission next week.

Thomas said a lot needs to be done for managing foodgrains. “We intend to begin camera montoring and improve utilisation of storage space through mechanisation. But the FCI is always under criticism. We accept it but at the same time,we need to encourage them for handling millions of tonnes of foodgrains,storing,preserving and transporting them,” he added.