Why FCI does not want to procure parboiled rice from Telangana

The Food items Company of India (FCI) has surplus stocks of parboiled rice that can support the central pool to meet the desire from the consuming States over the upcoming four many years, according to Sudanshu Pandey, Union Food items and Community Distribution Secretary.

“Not only Telangana but even from Chhattisgarh, parboiled rice procurement is not getting completed,” the Food items Secretary mentioned.

When deciding not to procure parboiled rice from Telangana, the FCI mentioned it would be keen to procure white rice.

“We experienced communicated our choice properly in progress to the Telangana government. In actuality, we experienced consulted with the Point out government although repairing the procurement volume,” mentioned Pandey. He was responding to a query from BusinessLine on views of rice traders that Telangana was hoping to mislead them on the rice procurement situation.

Last year, the FCI experienced been reluctant to procure parboiled rice. But Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao achieved officials at the Centre and persuaded them to obtain an supplemental two.47 million tonnes (mt). In performing so, he came to an being familiar with that the corporation will not procure from the rabi harvest year starting April upcoming.

Procurement norms

The Point out government has advised the farmers that the FCI will not procure parboiled rice from April upcoming and that they ought to change to alternative crops. Even so, the situation acquired politicised with the Opposition, led by the BJP, crying foul and Rao blaming the Centre for the issues. On Friday, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) staged protests against the FCI choice not to procure parboiled rice.

In contrast, Opposition get-togethers place out that procurement of kharif rice is nevertheless to start off in the Point out. They have introduced a independent agitation demanding its rapid purchase.

Pandey mentioned a person cause for the FCI to cut its parboiled rice purchase is that some States have designed their own range and use their own decentralised procurement method (DCP) for own consumption.

“Kerala and Bihar have their own parboiled rice and use their DCP. Therefore, there is no desire from the central pool (for parboiled rice). What do we do just after procuring it?” the Secretary mentioned. Telangana ought to adhere to the being familiar with achieved with the Centre, he mentioned. Rice traders mentioned the trouble for the Telangana government is if farmers choose to create extra white rice, they get brokens.

Broken rice

The trouble for farmers is that all through February-March the incredibly hot ailments end result in the grains acquiring broken. In get to get over it, they choose for the parboiled range.

On this, Pandey mentioned: “Telangana farmers cultivate higher-yielding types but these crack up conveniently all through milling. To prevent this, they steam the paddy so that they acquire in produce as properly as price tag. Efforts have to be made to reduce the brokens,” he mentioned.

People today in Telangana do not consume parboiled rice, which is getting created for consumption by other States. Now, it has hit a hurdle with the consuming States coming up with their own system, traders mentioned.