Across the country during the lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreak
Food Corporation of India (FCI) is ensuring uninterrupted supply of wheat and rice throughout the country during the lockdown period.
FCI is fully prepared to meet not only the food grain requirement under National Food Security Act (NFSA) @5 KG/Month/Beneficiary but also any additional demand including supply of 5Kg/Person for next 3 months to 81.35 Crore people under PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana. As on 31.03.2020, FCI has 56.75 Million MT (MMT) of Food Grains (30.7 MMT Rice and 26.06 MMT Wheat).
Even in this challenging operational environment, FCI is able to meet the increasing demand of food grains by gearing up the pace of supply of wheat and rice throughout the country mostly by Rail. A total of 53 Rakes are being loaded today i.e. 01.04.2020 carrying about 1.48 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) food grain stock. Since the day of lockdown i.e. 24.03.2020 FCI has moved 352 rakes carrying an approximate quantity of 9.86 LMT.
FCI is conducting e-auction under Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS) for providing Wheat to the empaneled roller flour mills/State Government to ease the supply constraint in the market. In the last e-auction held on 31.03.2020, bids for 1.44 LMT wheat have been received.
In view of outbreak of COVID-19, apart from regular e-auction, District Magistrates/Collectors have been authorized to lift directly from FCI depots at Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) reserve price to cater to the needs of Roller Flour Mills and other wheat product manufactures.