New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved infusion of equity of Rs.10,700 crore for working capital in financial year 2024-25 in Food Corporation of India (FCI).
The decision is aimed at bolstering the agricultural sector and ensuring the welfare of farmers nationwide. This strategic move shows the Government's steadfast commitment to supporting farmers and fortifying India's agrarian economy.
FCI started its journey in 1964 with authorised capital of Rs.100 crore and equity of Rs.4 crore. The operations of FCI increased manifolds resulting in increase of authorised capital from Rs.11,000 crore to Rs.21,000 crore in February, 2023. The equity of FCI was Rs.4,496 crore in Financial Year 2019-20 which increased to Rs.10,157 crore in the financial year 2023-24.
Now, the Central government has approved significant amount of equity of Rs.10,700 crore for FCI which will strengthen it financially and will give a big boost to the initiatives taken for its transformation.
FCI plays a pivotal role in ensuring food security by procurement of food grains at Minimum Support Price (MSP), maintenance of strategic food grain stocks, distribution of food grains for welfare measure and stabilization of food grain prices in the market.
The infusion of Equity is a significant step towards enhancing the operational capabilities of FCI in fulfilling its mandate effectively. FCI resorts to short term borrowings to match the gap of fund requirement. This infusion will help to lower the interest burden and will ultimately reduce the subsidy of Central government
The government's dual commitment to MSP-based procurement and investment in FCI's operational capabilities signifies a collaborative effort towards empowering farmers, fortifying the agricultural sector, and ensuring food security for the nation.