Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 28: The Union government has decided to temporarily suspend the fortification of rice distributed under key welfare schemes until a more robust and efficient nutrient delivery system is developed and implemented.
According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, a review was conducted on the implementation of rice fortification under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other social welfare programmes.
The Ministry clarified that the temporary discontinuation of rice fortification will not lead to any reduction in foodgrain entitlements. Distribution under the Public Distribution System (PDS), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme will continue without disruption.
Following the review, the government decided to pause the fortification process under PMGKAY and related schemes until a more effective mechanism for delivering nutrients to beneficiaries is identified.
An official statement noted that a study was commissioned to Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur to evaluate the shelf life of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) and Fortified Rice (FR) under real storage conditions across diverse agro-climatic zones in India.
The study found that factors such as moisture content, storage conditions, temperature, relative humidity, and packaging material significantly affect the stability and shelf life of fortified rice. The report highlighted that prolonged storage and routine handling can lead to a reduction in micronutrient content, thereby shortening the effective shelf life and limiting the intended nutritional benefits.
Given procurement volumes and annual offtake patterns, rice stocks typically remain in storage for two to three years. Against an annual allocation of 372 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) under PMGKAY and other welfare schemes, the total availability in the central pool is projected at 674 LMT, including expected receipts from the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025–26.
As a transitional measure for KMS 2025–26 (Kharif crop), as well as pending receipts from KMS 2024–25, States and Union Territories have been given flexibility to distribute either fortified or non-fortified rice, depending on operational and logistical considerations.