Promote fortified rice manufacturing plants, Centre tells Maharashtra

The Union Food stuff Ministry has recommended that the Maharashtra authorities encourage industries to set up fortified rice manufacturing crops as nicely as rice bran oil processing models all-around the paddy belt of Gondia, Bhandara, and Chandrapur. It has also asked the Condition to encourage crop diversification in the direction of maize to persuade grain-based distilleries.

Union Food stuff Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said the Centre has chalked out a plan to situation fortified rice by the public distribution process (PDS) by 2024, according to an official assertion introduced on Sunday.

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Soon after traveling to PDS retailers and paddy procurement functions in a handful of districts, Pandey held a joint conference with officials from the Condition authorities and the Food stuff Corporation of India (FCI). He emphasised the advertising of solvent extraction crops for manufacturing rice bran oil in the procuring districts.

Boosting ethanol manufacturing

At the same time, he added, Maharashtra should function on crop diversification in the direction of maize to assist set up grain-based distilleries for ethanol manufacturing. The Centre is advertising rice at ₹20/kg from the Central pool stocks to grain-based distilleries to boost the ethanol-mixing programme.