(Bihar) Farmers hit as paddy procurement delayed: MP

By Kamlesh Singh

Paddy procurement in Bihar has been hit by an acute shortage of fortified rice kernels (FRK), halting weighing and purchases at Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and other centres, and leaving farmers stranded with their produce, claimed RJD MP from Buxar Sudhakar Singh on Wednesday.
Singh said FRK is a multi-vitamin nutrient mixed at the rate of one kilogram per quintal of rice during milling. Only after this blending does the rice get the FRK tag, he said. “The govt has assigned a company in Uttar Pradesh to supply FRK. The company provides FRK to the State Food Corporation (SFC), which then supplies it to millers. However, the designated company has stopped supplying FRK to SFC, causing the entire procurement chain to collapse,” he said.
The RJD MP has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the crisis and seeking immediate intervention. He said several districts have reported that procurement at PACS and other centres is being halted once FRK stocks run out. Due to the shortage, farmers are being forced to move from one procurement centre to another, increasing transportation costs and deepening their financial distress, Singh said.
He described the situation as a clear case of administrative negligence and a joint failure of both the Centre and the Bihar govt. While the Centre made FRK mandatory under the rice fortification policy, it failed to ensure adequate and timely supply. At the same time, the state govt did not make arrangements to ensure uninterrupted availability during the procurement period.

The Buxar MP said he also met the secretary of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on Tuesday and was assured that FRK supplies would be restored by February 15. “But who will compensate farmers for the losses they are suffering till then?” Singh asked.
According to him, Bihar’s paddy procurement target for the current season was set at 36.85 lakh tonnes, but only 18.76 lakh tonnes have been procured so far. He alleged that the target was deliberately kept low and even basic arrangements to achieve it were not made.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.