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Food ministry reviewing Pawar’s call for food grain exports, says Thomas
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Saturday, 02 July, 2011, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Irum Khan, Mumbai
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In response to media reports on minister of food processing industries and agriculture Sharad Pawar’s statement on allowing food grains export, K V Thomas, minister of state for consumer affairs, food and public distribution (independent charge), informed FnB News on Friday that his ministry is taking a stock of the situation.
Thomas explained, “We are talking to states and reviewing the status of food grains stock. We understand that with the upcoming Food Bill we would need to increase the procurement. But the Bill would need some time to come about, thus we might not need to increase procurement immediately. In this scenario, if excess foodgrain is produced, then exports could be given a thought.”
Thomas also said that the country has had bumper crop this year with record production. Thus, scope for exports could be deliberated upon.
On the status of Food Bill, the minister said, “The draft has been circulated in the ministry yesterday. Next, it would go to the EGoM (Empowered Group of Ministers). Once approved, it will move for Cabinet's approval. The procedure would take time.”
Interestingly, a section of the press had earlier reported that to push the interest of traders, Pawar was batting for food grain exports.
However, monsoon does not seem to be as usual this year. In this backdrop, whether exports could lead to stress on the available stock of food grains and would the production realise estimates should be gauged rationally.
Also, another repercussion of obsession for foreign trade is that the domestic consumers are left with low quality products at high prices as superior quality products are exported to other countries under stringent international norms. Instead Indian consumers get foreign fruits like apple and oranges, which are being rejected in those countries.
Related story (Food exports at consumers’ cost; 3 ministries on a confusion trip http://fnbnews.com/article/detarchive.asp?articleid=27589§ionid=39)
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