No shortage of wheat in country: FCI

Chandigarh, Mar 12 (UNI) The Food Corporation of India (FCI) today stated that there was no shortage of wheat stocks in the country and presently around 45 lakh tonnes of wheat reserves were lying with the government.

The government had to import 55 lakh tonnes of wheat to control the rising wheat prices and not because there was shortage of the foodgrain in the country, FCI Acting Director J P Sharma told mediapersons here.

The wheat imports had resulted in fall of the prices of the foodgrain in the market, he added.

Refering to the forthcoming wheat procurement season expected to commence from April 1, Mr Sharma said the FCI had taken steps for the procurement and storage of wheat in the wheat producing states. In Punjab, the FCI had a storage capacity of 80 lakh tonnes, in Haryana it was 50 lakh tonnes and 15 lakh tonnes in Uttar Pradesh, he added.

Mr Sharma said private companies had been engaged for building two silos for the FCI in Moga in Punjab and Kaithal in Haryana.

These two silos would store two lakh tonnes each of foodgrain, he added.

UNI