To curb rice inflation, the government is considering selling FCI rice under the 'Bharat' brand, but the discount rate has not yet been decided, a food ministry official said.
The ministry's efforts to increase domestic availability and check the retail price of rice through the sale of FCI rice through e-auction under the Open Market Sales System (OMSS) have received a lukewarm response.
“There is a proposal to retail 'Bharat rice' but the price has not been decided yet,” an official told PTI on Wednesday.
Under OMSS, Food Corporation of India (FCI) is offering quality rice at a minimum price of Rs 29 per kg. “A group of ministers has to decide whether to sell Bharat rice at the same rate or at a reduced rate,” the official added.
The government has already started selling flour (atta) and pulses under the 'Bharat' brand through outlets managed by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), National Cooperative Consumer Federation (NCCF) and Kendriya Bhandars. There is.
FCI has been able to sell only 3.04 billion tonnes of rice under OMSS so far this year. In the case of wheat, the nodal agency sold 82.89 million tonnes of wheat under OMSS, according to official data.
The US inflation rate is 13% compared to the previous year, and the government is concerned about the price of key foods ahead of the 2024 general election.
(Edited by: Vivek Dubey)
