280 lakh tonnes of rice procured in Kharif Marketing Season 2005-06

New Delhi, Oct 19 (UNI) The Government today informed that its agencies procured an all time high 280 lakh tonnes of rice in the just concluded Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2005-06; with Punjab procuring the highest at 89 lakh tonnes.

The procurement is 33 lakh tonnes more than the quantity procured during the previous season. The estimate at the start of KMS 2005-06 was 230 lakh tonnes, according to an official release.

Punjab procured the highest with 89 lakh tonnes followed by Andhra Pradesh with 49 lakh tonnes.

Progressive procurement of rice in the current KMS (2006-07) is 45 lakh tonnes as on October 16, 2006 which is 12 lakh tonnes more than the procurement in the corresponding period of last year.

Procurement has already commenced in states like Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh; while it is scheduled to commence on November 1, 2006 in Chhattisgarh, Bihar and West Bengal, the release added.

UNI BBS CS SSC1433