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Rice procurement by the government as of 30 September 2008 during kharif marketing season 2007-08 stood at 28.50 million tonnes as against the overall procurement of 25.11 million tonnes in the same period in 2006-2007, representing an increase of 13.57 per cent over the previous year. State agencies procured 14.33 million tonnes of rice from 1 October 2008 till 24 December 2008, in the later part of the khariff marketing season as against 11.81 million tonnes of rice procured during the corresponding period in 2007-08 – an increase of 21 per cent. Government has a comfortable foodgrain stock position with over 9 million tonnes of wheat and 7.3 million tonnes of rice,a government release said. The country had a comfortable wheat stock of 9.18 million tonnes as of 1 April 2009 as compared to the buffer norms of 4 million tonnes. Similarly, it is estimated that the rice stock will be 7.37 million tonnes as of 1 October 2009 against the buffer norm of 5.2 million tonnes. A strategic reserve of 5 million tonnes of foodgrains (3 million tonnes of wheat and 2 million tonnes of rice) over and above the extant buffer stock has also been created. In addition, the centre has made an ad hoc allocation of 2,00,000 tonnes of additional wheat at APL rate per month to various states/union territories for January-March 2009. Andhra Pradesh will get 62,000 tonnes of rice at APL rate for January 2009 as an incentive for higher procurement during khariff marketing season 2007-08 and assured higher procurement during the 2008-09 marketing season. Tripura will get ad-hoc allotment of 12,000 tonnes of rice at the rate of 3,000 tonnes per month at APL rate for December-March 2008-09. There has been no change in statutory guideline related to rice exports. As against 4.14 million tonnes and 751,000 tonnes of non-basmati and basmati rice, respectively, exported in 2007-2008, only 713,000 tonnes and 715,000 tonnes of non-basmati and basmati rice, respectively, were exported in the corresponding period in 2008-09 (up to 21 December 2008).
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