GUWAHATI: In a bid to combat the soaring rice inflation, the Indian Government is contemplating a strategic move to sell rice under the 'Bharat' brand through the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
However, the discounted rate for this initiative remains undecided, according to a media report quoting a Food Ministry official.
The Food Ministry has been actively seeking measures to stabilise retail rice prices by enhancing domestic availability.
Despite efforts through the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS), where FCI offers quality rice at a reserve price of ₹29 per kg, the response has been lukewarm.
"There is a proposal to retail 'Bharat rice,' but the price has not yet been decided," the official stated as per media.
The decision on whether to sell 'Bharat rice' at the current rate or at a reduced rate will be made by the Group of Ministers.
The Government has already been retailing wheat flour (atta) and pulses under the 'Bharat' brand through outlets managed by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF), and Kendriya Bhandar.
Under the OMSS, FCI has set a reserve price of ₹29 per kg for quality rice. However, the agency has encountered challenges in selling rice through this scheme, managing to sell only 3.04 lakh tonnes of rice so far this year.
In contrast, FCI has successfully sold 82.89 lakh tonnes of wheat under OMSS, as per official data.