NEW DELHI, Dec 28: According to a Food Ministry official, the government is considering selling FCI (Food Corporation of India) rice under the “Bharat” brand in an effort to control the inflation of rice. However, the discounted rate has not yet been determined. x There has been a lacklustre response to the Ministry’s efforts to control retail rice prices by increasing domestic availability through the sale of FCI rice through an online auction under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). The official told on December 27 that “there is a proposal to retail ‘Bharat rice,’ but the price has not yet been decided.”The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is providing high-quality rice under the OMSS at a reserve price of ₹29 per kg. “The Group of Ministers must decide whether to sell Bharat rice at the same rate or at a reduced rate,” the official continued. Under the Bharat brand, the government already sells pulses and wheat flour (atta) through stores run by Kendriya Bhandar, National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF), and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). Thus far this year, FCI has only been able to sell 3.04 lakh tonnes of rice under OMSS. According to official data, the nodal agency has sold 82.89 lakh tonnes of wheat under OMSS.Ahead of the general elections in 2024, the government is concerned about key food prices due to the 13% annual inflation rate in rice.
