What buffer norms are to be followed by the government?
Answer:
- There is a general consensus that high level of buffer stocks of food grains is very undesirable and can be wasteful.
- The storage of massive food stocks has been responsible for high carrying cost, in addition to wastage and deterioration in grain quality.
- Freezing of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for a few years should be considered seriously. The rising MSP has raised the maintenance cost of procuring food grains by the government.