Demand for fortified rice plants

New Delhi: Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey has stressed on the need to set up fortified rice manufacturing plants in and around rice procuring districts of Gondia, Bhandia and Chandrapur in Maharashtra, according to the Union Food Ministry.

During his latest visit to a procurement centre in Bhandara district, Pandey also emphasised on promoting solvent extraction plants for manufacturing rice bran oil in the procuring districts.

The secretary said setting up of these plants is necessary as the central government has chalked out a plan for issuing fortified rice through the Public Distribution System (PDS), the ministry statement said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 had announced that the government will supply fortified rice via different schemes in a bid to address the problem of malnutrition.

Besides, Pandey advised the Maharashtra government to work on crop diversification especially to promote production of millets as the year 2023 is being declared as the 'International Year of Millets' by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

He further emphasised putting up grain-based distilleries for the production of ethanol and thereby promoting maize cultivation.

The secretary inspected the paddy procurement centre at Kardha in Bhandara district and was satisfied with the procurement operations but advised the state government to improve upon the infrastructure at the procurement centres.

He also interacted with the farmers at the centre and encouraged them to avail the benefits of various schemes of the central government.

It was also informed that a new testing method of rice has been introduced by the central government to know the age of the rice which would encourage paddy procurement and help the farmers.