Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 8

Just before the paddy procurement season commences, the Centre is planning to go ahead with new and stringent specifications for accepting rice from millers.

The government has reduced the specifications in moisture content, broken and damaged grain and extent of discoloured grain, for accepting rice. These specifications are expected to come into force from September, just before the paddy procurement starts in the state. Millers in Punjab say this is being done only to harass the protesting farmers indirectly, as it will lead to their cost of production rising by a high margin. They will not be able to take paddy from farmers if it does not meet the new specifications.

Refraction in rice to be accepted from the millers has been reduced to 20 per cent from earlier 25 per cent in raw and to 12 per cent from 16 per cent in parboiled rice. The limit of damaged grain has been reduced by one per cent, which means that rice which has more than 2 per cent (in raw and 3 per cent in parboiled) damaged grain will not be accepted. The red grain will no longer be allowed (earlier it was 3 per cent) and grain having moisture content of over 14 per cent (till now it was 15 per cent) will not be allowed. In paddy, crop having over 16 per cent moisture cannot be purchased (till now this limit is 17 per cent). These new quality specifications were recommended by a committee of officials headed by the FCI Chairman early this year.

Though the Centre had said in March these were just proposals and would not be implemented immediately, a meeting to discuss the implementation of these new specifications for rice procurement was scheduled for yesterday, which has now been postponed.

“Unofficially, we have been told that these will be implemented in the coming season. If this is done, it will lead to financial ruin of rice milling industry, and most small units will be forced to close down,” said Prem Goel, a rice miller from Sunam.

Ranjit Singh Josan, a miller from Ferozepur, said if the mills were to give the rice to the FCI at the new specifications, his production cost would go up by Rs 100 per quintal.