Centre extends free fortified rice distribution till Dec 2028

MP, 10 Oct 2024, New Delhi: The Central government has extended the free distribution of fortified rice until 2028, with a budget of Rs 17,082 crore. 

This initiative aims to reduce anaemia and micronutrient deficiency, particularly among children, women, and men across various age groups and income levels. 

The fortified rice is enriched with iron, folic acid, and Vitamin B12, essential nutrients that are often lacking in the diets of many Indians. The decision to extend the program was made at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The rice fortification process involves the addition of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) enriched with micro-nutrients (iron, folic acid, Vitamin B12) as per standards prescribed by food regulator FSSAI to regular rice (custom milled rice). 

Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the total financial implication to supply free fortified rice will be fully funded by the Centre. 

“The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the universal supply of fortified Rice under all schemes of the Government, including Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes etc in its present form, from July 2024 and up to December 2028,” according to an official statement. 

The rice fortification initiative will continue as a central sector initiative with 100 per cent funding by the central government as part of PMGKAY (Food Subsidy), thus providing a unified institutional mechanism for implementation, it added. 

In line with the Prime Minister’s address on 75th Independence Day on the necessity of Nutritional Security in the country, the government said the initiative “Supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), other welfare schemes, Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), PM POSHAN (Erstwhile MDM) in all states and Union Territories (UTs)” was taken up. 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), in April 2022, decided to implement the rice fortification initiative throughout the country in a phased manner by March 2024. All three phases have been successfully completed, and the target of universal coverage of providing fortified rice in all government schemes was achieved by March 2024. 

“According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between 2019 and 2021, anaemia remains a widespread issue in India, affecting children, women, and men across various age groups and income levels." 

Besides iron deficiency, other vitamin and mineral deficiencies, such as Vitamin B12 and folic acid, also persist, impacting the overall health and productivity of the population,” the government said. 

Food fortification has been used globally as a safe and effective measure to address anaemia and micro-nutrient malnutrition in the vulnerable population. 

Rice is an ideal vehicle for supplying micro-nutrients in the Indian context, as 65 per cent of India’s population consumes rice as a staple food. 

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