Govt rice stocks plentiful, no spending from reserves needed: Food minister

The country is not required to spend a penny from the foreign exchange reserve as it has more than enough rice stored in stock, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said today.

"Under no circumstances will there be a shortage of food in the country," the minister said addressing concerns about a potential shortage.

He emphasised that not a single dollar from the reserve will be required for rice imports, underscoring the nation's self-sufficiency in this regard.

"The country has more food stock than it needs," the minister said after attending a meeting of the Food Planning and Distribution Committee in the Secretariat on Sunday (8 October).

While highlighting the proactive approach the government has taken in managing the country's food reserves, Minister Sadhan Chandra noted that advanced allocation of rice has been initiated to clear warehouses ahead of the upcoming Aman season procurement.

According to the minister, the government warehouses currently hold 16.20 lakh tonnes of rice and 1.53 lakh tonnes of wheat. 

Noting that 4 lakh tonnes of wheat are slated for import, Sadhan Chandra Majumder clarified, "We, however, would need to touch the reserve for wheat import." 

The government set a target for collecting Aman paddy starting at the end of November, aiming for 4 lakh tonnes of boiled rice, 1 lakh tonne of Atap rice, and 2 lakh tonnes of paddy this season. 

Reflecting on the achievements of the last boro season, the food minister highlighted that the government surpassed its target by procuring 2 lakh tonnes of paddy and 15.5 lakh tonnes of rice.