Buffer stock

-

 

  • The concept of buffer stock was first introduced during the 4th Five Year Plan (1969-74).
  • Buffer stock of food grains in the Central Pool is maintained by the Government of India (GOI) / Central Government for meeting the prescribed minimum buffer stock norms for food security, monthly release of food grains for supply through Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS), meeting emergency situations arising out of unexpected crop failure, natural disasters, etc., and Price stabilisation or market intervention to augment supply so as to help moderate the open market prices.
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs fixes the minimum buffer norms on quarterly basis: i.e. as on 1st April, 1st July, 1st October and 1st January of every financial year.
  • On 15 December 2015, it was decided by the Government to create a buffer stock of pulses of 1.5 lakh tonnes to control fluctuation of prices of pulses.
  • Government has engaged National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED), Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC) and Food Corporation of India (FCI) to procure pulses for buffer stock.
  • In addition to buffer norms, Government of India has prescribed a strategic reserve of 30 lakh tonnes of wheat w.e.f. 01.07.2008 and 20 lakh tonnes of rice w.e.f. 01.01.2009.
  • At present, GoI prefers to use the term – Food grain stocking norms – which refers to the level of stock in the Central Pool that is sufficient to meet the operational requirement of food grains and exigencies at any point of time. Earlier this concept was termed as Buffer Norms and Strategic Reserve.

Presently, stocking norms fixed by Government of India on 22.01.2015 comprise of:

  • Operational stocks: for meeting monthly distributional requirement under TPDS and OWS.
  • Food security stocks/reserves: for meeting shortfall in procurement.
  • While four months requirement of food grains for issue under TPDS and OWS are earmarked as operational stocks, the surplus over that is treated as buffer stock and physically both buffer and operational stocks are merged into one and are not distinguishable.
  • According to the present practice, the GOI treats the food stock over and above the minimum norms as
  • Excess stock and liquidates them from time to time through exports, open market sales or additional allocations to states.
  • The buffer stock figures are normally reviewed after every five years.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Discuss the Salient features of cultural tradition of south India as reflected in Sangam leterature?15M

-
Introduction :  The Sangam Age in Indian history witnessed the rapid development of literary works in the southern regions. The literature that was created during this time came to be known as Sangam literature Mostly literary sources help us to understand t he society and culture of the Sangam age , which provides information regarding t he classification of the people, caste system , various occupations , practice of slavery , d ress and food hab it, status of women , religious practice s, education a nd other f ine ar t. Sources to understand Cultural Tradition of south India  The literatures are the primary sources for understanding the socio-cultural life of the people of Sangam age. The literatures of the Sangam age consists of the earliest Tamil literary works such as Tolkappiyam, the Ettutogai (Eight Anthologies), the Pattuppattu (Ten Idylls), the Pandinenkilkanakku (Eight Minor works) and the Five Epics Silappathikaram, Manimegalai, Sivaga Sindamani, Valaiyapathy and Kunda
Read more

Discuss the impact of social media, overprotective parenting, and the decline of unsupervised outdoor play on children’s emotional well-being?

-
 The emotional well-being of children has been increasingly influenced by several modern factors, including social media, overprotective parenting, and the decline of unsupervised outdoor play. Each of these elements plays a role in shaping children's emotional health, and their combined effects can be complex. Here’s a closer look at how each factor impacts children: 1. Social Media Impact on Emotional Well-being: Increased Anxiety and Depression : Social media can expose children to idealized images and lifestyles, potentially leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. For example, seeing peers portray seemingly perfect lives on platforms like Instagram or TikTok can make children feel like they don't measure up. Cyberbullying : Social media can be a medium for cyberbullying, which can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and depression. Victims of online bullying may experience emotional trauma and difficulty trusting others. Reduced Face-to-Face Interaction : Exce
Read more