Telangana Minister KTR Urges Center for Additional Parboiled Rice

Delhi: Minister K.T. Rama Rao called on Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Saturday. During the meeting, Minister KTR discussed various issues, including the request for additional par-boiled rice target for Rabi 2022-23.

Minister KTR highlighted the significant paddy cultivation in Telangana during the Rabi Season, covering over 57 lakh acres, which accounts for more than 50% of the country's paddy cultivation. The State has successfully procured 66.11 lakh metric tons of paddy during this Rabi season.

The Minister informed the Union Minister that Telangana State has been delivering CMR in the form of Par Boiled Rice to FCI during Rabi seasons as the high temperature during this period of paddy crop grown is not conducive for milling for delivery of Raw Rice within the stipulated brokens limit of less than 25%.

KTR further added that the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore, conducted test milling in 11 districts of the State during the previous Rabi season. The report indicated a broken percentage of 48.20% for MTU 1010, the major variety grown during the season. The Government of India allocated 10.20 lakh metric tons of Par-boiled rice target for the State (equivalent to 15 lakh metric tons of paddy), leaving a balance of 51.11 lakh metric tons of paddy to be milled for delivering raw rice to FCI.

“The financial implication for delivery of 1 Lakh Mts of raw rice to FCI works out to Rs 42.08 crores due to the additional percentage of brokens and the total financial implication if the State has to deliver for the balance 34.24 LMts in the form of raw rice works out to Rs 1441 crores,” said KTR.

Considering the additional financial implication due to the higher broken percentage, Minister KTR requested the allocation of an additional 20 lakh metric tons of Par-boiled Fortified Rice target for Rabi 2022-23.