The government is setting its sights on selling 1.5 million tons each of FCI rice and wheat flour (atta) under the ‘Bharat’ brand within the next 4-5 months, announced Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Thursday. This initiative aims to maintain price stability for essential food items.
‘Bharat Atta’ has been available for retail since November last year, while ‘Bharat Rice’ hit the market shelves starting February 6, all in an effort to control prices.
The state-owned Food Corporation of India (FCI) is supplying grains to three agencies: the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd. (NCCF), and Kendriya Bhandar, for retail distribution.
Speaking to the media, Secretary Chopra highlighted the positive impact of Bharat Atta on price stability, expressing confidence that Bharat Rice would also contribute to moderating prices despite its current low sales volume.
“We anticipate selling 1.5 million tons of rice and wheat flour in the next 4-5 months. This marks the initial phase, and we can increase supply based on demand,” Chopra stated. To date, approximately 350,000 tons of wheat flour and 20,000 tons of rice under the Bharat brand have been sold.
Chopra further noted that rice prices, currently elevated by 15% compared to the previous year, are expected to decrease with the introduction of Bharat Rice and the arrival of the rabi crop in March. He added that while wheat, wheat flour, sugar, and edible prices remain stable, rice prices are the exception.