States must push farmers to up sowing to boost exports: Piyush Goyal

Goyal told state governments that there is no shortage of funds with the Centre for settling old food subsidy claims but the delay was because states are not filing their claims with proper documents

Union food and consumer affairs minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday asked states to encourage farmers to increase sowing area of paddy and wheat as higher domestic production will boost India's exports.

Addressing a conference of state food ministers on food and nutrition security in India, the minister asked state governments to submit their pending food subsidy claims up to 2019-20 fiscal years at the earliest for speedy settlements of old accounts.

Goyal told state governments that there is no shortage of funds with the Centre for settling old food subsidy claims but the delay was because states are not filing their claims