FCI rice procurement down 7 pc as production slumps

• Rice procurement declined by nearly seven per cent to 31.45 million tonnes in the 2009-10 marketing year that ended last month due to a sharp fall in production on account of the drought last year, according to government data.
• Food Corporation of India (FCI), the nodal agency for procurement and distribution, had procured a record 33.6 million tonnes in 2008-09 marketing year (October-September).
• India's rice production fell to 89.13 million tonnes in 2009-10 crop year (July-June) against record 99.18 million tonnes in the previous year. Production fell sharply as country witnessed a severe drought in 2009.
• According to FCI data, Punjab has contributed around 30 per cent to the central agency's rice procurement followed by Andhra Pradesh.