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State Food Secretaries are meeting here tomorrow to discuss arrangements for procurement of paddy, rice and coarse grains in the coming Kharif marketing season 2005-06. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Civil Supplies, Shri Sharad Pawar, will preside over the day-long meeting. The Food Secretaries of the Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are to attend the meeting.
As of August 8, 2005, the area coverage under rice all over the country has been reported to be 223.13 lakh hectares in the current year as against 227.33 lakh hectares in 2004. The States showing additional coverage over the previous years include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana. The area coverage has been reported low in Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Orissa.
The area coverage under total coarse cereals was 216.05 lakh hectares as of August 8, 2005 compared to 222.91 lakh hectares in the previous year. The area coverage this year is more in Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. It is reported to be lower in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
Monsoon had covered the whole country by the end of June, 2005. The cumulative seasonal rainfall between June 1 and September 30 this year is expected to be normal. Six States have had excessive rains. Eight States had inadequate rains so far. The rainfall was normal in the remaining States.
SMK/ls/foodsecretaries17.8
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