Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday made an earnest appeal to the Union Government, urging it to sympathetically consider the genuine demands of rice millers in the State. Mann, in a detailed letter addressed to the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, emphasized the need for prompt action to avoid potential disruptions in the upcoming Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25.
Mann highlighted that typically, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) receives milled rice by March 31. However, during KMS 2023-24, due to a lack of storage space, the delivery period had to be extended until September 30, 2024. This delay has created apprehensions among the millers, who are now reluctant to lift and store the paddy set to arrive during KMS 2024-25. The millers have stressed the necessity of shifting at least 20 lakh metric tons (MT) of rice or wheat out of Punjab from covered storage each month to ease the burden on the state's storage capacity.
The Chief Minister further pointed out that food godowns across the country are full, requiring the Government of India to devise strategic solutions to manage the situation. While he appreciated the Centre’s decision to allow the export of rice, Mann suggested that consuming states be encouraged to undertake advance lifting of rice for three to six months. This measure, he believed, would help the FCI evacuate the necessary stock from Punjab.
Mann underscored that the forthcoming season would see the delivery of around 120 lakh MT of rice to the central pool, but the creation of only 90 lakh MT of storage space by March 31, 2025, would be insufficient. To address this gap, he proposed several additional measures, such as selling rice to bio-ethanol manufacturing units at a subsidized rate and increasing the liberal lifting of stock under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).
In his letter, Mann also raised concerns about the additional transportation costs millers incurred in the previous season. Due to space constraints, the FCI allocated storage spaces over 100 kilometers from milling centers, for which no compensation was provided. He requested the Union government to ensure millers are adequately reimbursed for these transportation charges in the future.
The Chief Minister also brought attention to the losses suffered by millers due to the extended milling season beyond March 31. Factors such as weight loss, discoloration, and additional labor costs due to hot weather conditions were cited as major concerns. Mann called for compensation to be provided to millers in case of future delays caused by FCI’s storage issues.
Additionally, millers have raised concerns about the Out Turn Ratio (OTR) of hybrid rice varieties, requesting that scientific studies be conducted to determine the actual OTR. Mann asserted that these concerns are legitimate and deserve immediate attention from the Central Government.
Mann concluded by reminding the Union Minister of Punjab’s critical role in ensuring the nation’s food security, as the state contributes 45-50 percent of the wheat procured under the central pool. He warned that failure to address the millers’ demands could lead to significant hardships for farmers in the upcoming paddy procurement season, potentially triggering law and order issues in Punjab, a sensitive border state.
