Rice millers in Punjab are currently facing numerous problems, including a shortage of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRKs) and a lack of storage space. They are constantly requesting assistance from the state and central governments. Meanwhile, a delegation of rice millers from Punjab met with Union Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution Minister Prahlad Joshi in New Delhi. This meeting is considered significant given the challenges faced by millers in Punjab. According to reports, rice millers articulated their milling problems to the Union Minister Joshi. Notably, the meeting was held in the presence of BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh and BJP Punjab President Sunil Jakhar.
Acute shortage of rice storage space in Punjab
Punjab Rice Millers Association President Bharat Bhushan Binta informed Joshi about the acute shortage of rice storage space in Punjab and appealed for assistance. He appealed to the central government to increase the monthly rice transportation from the state to 1 million metric tons (LMT) to ease pressure on rice millers. In addition, he mentioned the delays in milling operations due to the low supply of FRC. The president of the Punjab Rice Millers Association has requested the government to accept deliveries of 2.5 million metric tons of non-FRK rice to streamline the rice milling process.
AI-based automatic grain analyser machines in all warehouses
The meeting also urged Union Minister Prahlad Joshi to immediately implement AI-based automatic grain analyzer machines in all warehouses to ensure transparency and efficiency in quality inspection. Additionally, the delegation from the Punjab Rice Millers Association expressed serious concern over the alleged irregular allocation of rice transportation by the DGM of the FCI Chandigarh office during a meeting with Prahlad Joshi. Bharat Bhushan Binta stated that due to space constraints, the state’s rice millers have been forced to transport rice to distant locations and other states without receiving food reimbursement from the FCI. Speaking on behalf of the rice millers, Binta stated that they were forced to submit an undertaking that they would not claim food charges, a practice he described as arbitrary and unfair. Interestingly, in Punjab, along with the shortage of grain, a lack of storage space is creating problems in milling operations.
Lack of space forced rice millers to store rice in compounds
This lack of space has forced rice millers to store milled rice in their compounds. Furthermore, this lack of space has forced millers to ship their stock to other states. In fact, rice millers fear that if they don’t choose the right location for their stock in time, they could suffer significant losses. Out of Punjab’s total storage capacity of 18 million tons, approximately 13 million tons of rice and 4 million tons of wheat from the last season have already been stored. Regarding storage challenges, officials state that grain is being slowly unloaded from warehouses, and the situation will improve within the next one to two months. A report states that millers in Punjab still have approximately 2.5 million tons of hulled rice stored on their premises, dating back to November last year, during the current season. We cannot forget about the Punjab floods that damaged paddy crops last year, leading to a decline in production. Furthermore, it’s estimated that over 1 million tons of rice may ultimately be delivered to neighbouring states. The slowdown in paddy harvesting compared to last season has also had an effect. Now, regarding these problems, a delegation of Punjab Rice Millers Association met Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prahlad Joshi in New Delhi and sought help in resolving these problems.