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Kakinada: Rice millers and scientists have advised the Andhra Pradesh government to supply steam rice instead of the present raw rice to beneficiaries of White card holders under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
They say the raw rice supplied now is not being consumed by the beneficiaries.
According to sources, the farmers and others in rural areas used to consume the common variety of rice. Now, the consumption of superfine varieties is high in cities as well as in rural areas. Most of the beneficiaries in towns and villages are not consuming the PDS rice. Yet, however, the Food Corporation of India under the guidelines of the central government mixes the protein kennels in the rice.
The PDS consumers are complaining that they are suffering from stomach pain and other problems due to this and that their children are not consuming it.
In the present situation, many PDS beneficiaries are selling their quota of rice to the ration dealer or other rice traders at a low rate of `12 to `15 per kilo and buying a super fine variety of rice in the malls or kirana bazaars at a rate of more than `50 per kilo. Now, the state government is taking action against the PDS rice trade after the seizure of stocks for export, and this has caused a sensation.
A rice mill marketing manager in Konaseema district said many people are buying rice from malls and rice shops at the rate of more than `50. “In fact, the rice is not a superfine variety but a common variety that is supplied to the PDS. The rice miller milling the common variety of rice as steam (half-boiled) rice and sells it in the market. Consumers are buying it, mistaking it as a superfine variety.”
“To curb the PDS circulation in the market as also its export, the government should immediately go for steam rice
milling and supply it to the beneficiaries. 90 percent of beneficiaries won’t sell it as they want it,” it is proposed.
According to a farmer of upland, previously, after the paddy harvest, farmers used to dry paddy for two or three months and later mill it and consume it, or sell the paddy to the rice mills. Now, fresh paddy is sold in the field itself as soon as harvesting is done.
Kakinada district Rice Millers Association president Nunna Ramakrishna said if the government introduced the distribution of steam rice to the beneficiaries, it would be useful to them and hence they would not sell it. A proposal to this effect has been placed before the government.
He said the custom milling price will also not be high. Only `30 per quintal has to be borne by the government additionally on the present payment of `120 per quintal to the rice millers.
Principal scientist of the district agriculture advisory and transforming technology centre (DAATT) M Srinivas told Deccan Chronicle that even farmers are not also consuming their own rice. They are selling the entire crop and purchasing rice from the market.
He said all varieties of paddy are not suitable for steam rice milling. MTU 1318, MTU 1064 (Amar), MTU 1061 (Indra), 1075 (Pushyami), and other varieties are suitable for steam milling.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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