Top Rice News: Struggles Of Fortified Rice & Emergency Rice Milling Drive

Top rice news today highlights the struggle of fortified rice to find retail buyers in Karnataka’s open market due to low awareness. The state needs to shift its focus to expanding the fortified rice availability beyond the public distribution system. Subsequently, the Philippines National Food Authority said its rice-milling activities have been escalated to support local palay farmers in Philippines.

Fortified Rice Struggles to Find Buyers in Karnataka’s Open Market

Fortified rice is still struggling to gain traction in the open market due to low consumer awareness and limited efforts by manufacturers. According to officials, fortified rice may be key to tackling widespread nutrient deficiencies in India. Focusing on the need to expand its availability beyond the Public Distribution System. Not only this, but at a workshop on Advancing Fortified Rice in Karnataka, these experts also highlighted that fortified grains are not common across the state. Grains such as rice and wheat are increasingly being discouraged for being high-carb. Fortification is a way to ensure these grains remain healthy as they are part of our staple food and culture, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. In addition, according to Nutrition experts, iron, Vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies are widespread in India and contribute to issues such as low birth weight, infant mortality and rising pre-diabetes cases. Notably, the fortified rice is made by the extrusion technology, where rice flour is blended with a micronutrient premix containing vitamins and minerals to create Fortified Rice Kernels. These FRKs are manufactured in an extruder machine, later blended with regular rice in a 1:100 ratio.

Emergency Rice Milling Drive Strengthens Philippines’ Buffer Stocks

On Tuesday, May 26, the Philippines National Food Authority (NFA) said its rice milling activities have been intensified to support local palay (unhusked rice) farmers in Soccsksargen, Philippines. The grains agency collaborated with rice millers for the intensified milling initiative under the emergency procurement program. In a statement, NFA administrator Larry Lacson said nearly 1,100 palay farmers in Central Mindanao are expected to be supported under the emergency procurement milling initiative. He said the initiative also helps free up spaces in NFA warehouses in the region. “We are clearing space not simply to store rice, but to keep buying from farmers who rely on us during difficult market conditions. That support can spell the difference between profit and loss for many small growers,” he asserted. Overall, the NFA has tapped 15 rice mills for the emergency procurement milling services initiative. It covers PHP48.5 million worth of contracts or nearly 215,000 50-kilo bags of palay harvested in the Soccsksargen. Notably, the bulk of the milling contracts, covering nearly 161,841 bags of palay, was awarded to six millers in North Cotabato, which collectively have a 12-hour milling capacity of 4,526 bags. Nearly 133,251 bags of rice are expected to be produced from the milling services program for the government’s rice buffer stock. Moreover, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stated the National Food Authority milling program looks to sustain palay procurement for farmers at favourable prices.