State to start distribution of fortified rice in four dists from Jan 2023

kolkata: The state Food and Supplies department will start distribution of fortified rice in four districts of Bengal from January 2023. The work for installation of blending machines for conversion into fortified rice has more or less been finished in the state.

Murshidabad, Birbhum, Purulia and North Dinajpur will be the four districts in which fortified rice will be supplied in the mid-day meal scheme including in the Anganwadi centres.

"We have set a target of April 2023, when fortified rice will be rolled out in all the districts," a senior official of the department said. As per estimates of the state Women and Child Development department, the total number of beneficiaries in the state is around 72.62 lakh that includes few lakh school girls. About 18000 metric tonnes of rice per month will tentatively be required for feeding the beneficiaries.The fortified rice contains micronutrients as well as iron, folic acid which help in the development of the foetus and Vitamin B 12, essential for development of the nervous system.Iron, zinc, vitamins and similar nutrients are added to normal rice for preparation of Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK). Then this FRK is mixed in an earmarked proportion with normal rice for preparing fortified rice. Usually 1 kg FRK is mixed with 100 kg of normal rice and supplied for consumption.

There are a handful of FRK production units in the state and the rice mills may also purchase from NAFED. FRK's price is Rs 68 per kg.

Rice mill owners have informed the state Food department about some other entities that produce FRK and sell them at a cheaper price in comparison to NAFED. They have claimed that the standard of FRK by these companies matches the standard of the central government and have sought permission for allowing them to procure FRK from these companies. There are 1200 rice mills in the state.

To reduce anemia and micronutrient deficiency among large sections of population, the Union government has decided to cover "aspirational and high-burden districts" ranked as per the health and socio-economic indicators developed by Niti Aayog in providing fortified rice through PDS (Public Distribution System) in 2022-2023.