Bhubaneswar: The Centre will procure additional 10 lakh metric tons (LMT) parboiled rice from Odisha in Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2023-24.
It was revealed after Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal approved the proposal on Friday.
Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan had urged for procurement of the rice for the benefit of the farmers of the state.
Pradhan thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Piyush Goyal for taking prompt action. He said that lakhs of farmers of Odisha will benefit from this initiative.
Earlier on Tuesday, Pradhan had written to the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Distribution Piyush Goyal to issue instruction to FCI for procuring 10 LMT more of parboiled rice from Odisha in the KMS 2023-24.
Pradhan in his letter mentioned that the central government has allocated a target of procuring 44.28 LMT of rice in the KMS 2023-24 in the initial allocation target. Besides the present need of rice essential for NFSA, SFSA and other welfare schemes, more parboiled fortified rice was being left over in the state which will be now procured by the FCI.
