Wheat production this year is expected to be over 902 lakh tons. Rice production is likely to exceed 1034 lakh tons in the current Kharif season. Minister of Food and Public Distribution K.V. Thomas cited these figures from the Agriculture Ministry's Advance Estimate of Production in the Lok Sabha today.

He informed the House that a stock of about two hundred lakh tons of wheat and 333 lakh tons of rice is available in the Central Pool as of 1st April this year. Mr. Thomas said wheat procurement in the Rabi Marketing Season 2012-13 is estimated to be 318 lakh tons. The rice procurement in the current Kharif Marketing Season 2011-12 is expected to be 353 lakh tons. The Minister said an additional storage capacity of 152 lakh tons is proposed to be created in 19 States.