The Indian government is set to introduce retail sales of Bharat Rice at ₹29 per kg, aiming to alleviate the burden on consumers and curb the upward trend in food prices. Sanjeev Chopra, the Union Food and Public Distribution Secretary, announced the decision, highlighting the need to control inflationary trends in the food economy.
Bharat Rice, priced at ₹29 per kg, will be made available for sales in 5 kg and 10 kg packs. The distribution will be facilitated through key channels such as the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed), the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF), and the retail chain Kendriya Bhandar. In the initial phase, the government has allocated 500,000 tonnes of rice for retail sale, with a focus on ensuring affordability for consumers.
Government officials had earlier indicated the possibility of offering Bharat Rice at ₹29 per kg through cooperatives as a strategic move to address price concerns. The rice, sourced from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), aims to stabilize prices and meet consumer demand.
Alongside subsidized rice, the government is already providing Bharat Atta at ₹27.50 per kg and Bharat Dal (chana) at ₹60 per kg, contributing to the efforts to keep essential food items affordable for the public.
To enhance transparency and better manage rice stocks, the government has directed traders, wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers, and processors to declare their stock positions. This includes various categories of rice such as broken rice, non-basmati white rice, parboiled rice, basmati rice, and paddy. Declarations must be made weekly on the portal of the Department of Food and Public Distribution until further instructions.
Responding to questions about rice exports, Chopra stated that there are no immediate plans to lift restrictions until domestic prices stabilize. While there is no immediate plan to impose stock limits on rice, he emphasized that all options are open to bring down prices, as the government aims to maintain a comfortable stock position.
In terms of wheat management, the government continues its efforts to increase availability and control prices. Weekly e-auctions are being conducted to release wheat stocks into the market, with a target to offload a total of 10.1 million tonnes. Under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS), 7.5 million tonnes of wheat have already been sold. The strategy includes increasing the weekly auction quantity of wheat to 500,000 tonnes and raising the lot size to 400 tonnes to meet market demand effectively.