Govt says foodgrains availability comfortable

New Delhi, Nov 21 (UNI) With inflation having dipped to 8.9 per cent, the government today said the availability of foodgrains was comfortable and would help it check rise in prices of wheat and rice in the domestic market.

But slower pace of inflation was due to fall in the prices of petroleum and manufactured products. Inflation of primary articles, including food, went up by 65 basis point to 11.66 per cent in the week ended November 8. One basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point.

Government estimated that wheat stock on April 1 next will be 71.86 lakh tonnes against buffer norms of 40 lakh tonnes, while that of rice was 65.94 lakh tonnes on October 1 against requirement of buffer of 52 lakh tonnes.

It said various government agencies had procured 181 tonnes of paddy, which comes to about 104 lakh tonnes of rice, till yesterday.

Rice procurement this year is up by 21 per cent over 85.95 lakh tonnes purchased last year, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said today.

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