Haryana: Karnal sees rise in rice delivery after exemption on fortification
By Parveen Arora
The Union government’s decision to temporarily suspend the mixing of fortified rice kernels (FRK) in custom-milled rice (CMR) has significantly accelerated the pace of rice supply by millers to government agencies in Karnal district.
Earlier, millers were required to blend FRK — enriched with micronutrients such as iron and zinc — with regular rice before dispatch. With the exemption in place, the process has become simpler, enabling faster deliveries.
According to an official from the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, around 25 per cent of CMR has already been delivered in Karnal, marking a substantial rise from less than 10 per cent prior to the exemption
On February 27, the Union Ministry announced that the rice fortification programme would be “temporarily discontinued.” The initiative had been implemented under the public distribution system (PDS) to address malnutrition and anaemia.
Millers said the requirement of FRK mixing had been causing delays due to supply constraints. Only four suppliers were tasked with providing FRK to nearly 1,400 rice millers across the state, against a total demand of around 30,000 metric tonnes. Delays in sampling approvals and limited availability had slowed the process, leading to discontent among millers.
Welcoming the move, millers said the exemption has brought much-needed relief.
Saurabh Gupta, president of the Karnal Rice Millers and Dealers Association, said, “The limited number of suppliers and delays in sample approvals had created major hurdles. We raised the issue several times. Now, the Union government has temporarily halted it following a study. It has brought relief and helped us speed up delivery.”
He added that millers have now ramped up supply and urged the government to revise the delivery schedule, as they had fallen behind due to earlier delays.
As per the existing schedule, millers are required to deliver 15 per cent of CMR by December-end, 25 per cent by January-end, 20 per cent by February-end, 15 per cent by March-end, 15 per cent by May-end and the remaining 10 per cent by June-end.
Sources in the department indicated that a revision of the delivery schedule may be considered in view of delays linked to finalising FRK tenders.
Mukesh Kumar, District Food Supplies Controller (DFSC), said the exemption has had a visible impact on supply. “We have asked all millers to speed up supply, and we expect the delivery to cross 50 per cent soon,” he said.
This article has been republished from The Tribune.