Government Introduces ‘Bharat Rice’ to Combat Food Inflation

In a strategic move to counteract food inflation, the Central government has announced the initiation of retail sales for ‘Bharat Rice.‘ Unveiled by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on February 2, this initiative is geared towards providing affordable rice to the general public.

To kickstart the program, the government has allocated five lakh metric tonnes of rice for retail sale under the ‘Bharat Rice’ brand, managed by three key agencies—NAFED, NCCF, and Kendriya Bhandar. The retail pricing for ‘Bharat Rice’ is set at Rs 29 per kilogram, with packaging options of 5 kg and 10 kg.

Initially, ‘Bharat Rice’ will be made available through mobile vans and physical outlets operated by the central co-operative agencies. Additionally, plans are underway to extend its availability through various retail channels, including e-commerce platforms.

To curb speculative practices, the government has mandated that traders, wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers, and processors/millers across all states and union territories declare their stock position of rice/paddy. This declaration, covering categories such as broken rice, non-basmati white rice, parboiled rice, basmati rice, and paddy, must be updated on the Department of Food and Public Distribution’s portal within seven days of the order and subsequently every Friday.

The introduction of ‘Bharat Rice’ and the transparency measures implemented aim to ensure a stable and affordable rice supply while discouraging unfair market practices.