Punjab rice millers meet union food minister with demands

A delegation of the Punjab Rice Industry Association led by its president Bharat Bhushan Binta met with union food minister Prahlad Joshi in Delhi on Monday to discuss the “challenges” faced by the rice industry in Punjab.
The meeting mainly focused on the issue of abandoned stockpiles of fortified rice and the critical space constraints for rice storage in the state. The delegation’s main demand was that adequate storage space be arranged in Punjab for the delivery of all rice by March 31, 2025. They emphasized the need for timely action to overcome the challenges faced by rice millers in the state.
Association members Bal Krishna Bali and Kamal Garg from Ferozepur were also present on this occasion. Association vice president Ranjit Singh Jossan said it had been decided to increase the drying percentage of rice from 0.50% to 2% for hybrid and short-duration paddy varieties like PR. The mill owners of Punjab have decided not to store these types of paddy in their mills. He requested the central government form a joint committee comprising representatives from the Punjab government, the Food Corporation of India (FCI), and rice millers to investigate these special varieties of paddy.
Joshi reportedly assured the delegation that a high-level meeting would be convened soon to address these concerns. The meeting would be attended by the Food Secretary, Government of India, and the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

This article has been republished from The Times of India.