NEW DELHI: With the aim of combating chronic anaemia and undernutrition, the Government of India is planning to distribute fortified rice in schools. The meals will be distributed as part of the Integrated Child Development Services and Mid-Day meal schemes across the country starting next year. According to a statement by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAFPD), focus for distribution of fortified rice will be on 112 aspirational districts.
However, it must be noted that a pre-existing scheme to distribute fortified rice through the Public Distribution System in 15 districts has so far been implemented in only five districts, although more than half of the project duration is over.
MoCAFPD’s statement further read that the Food Corporation of India has further been asked to increase the supply of fortified rice from the current 15,000 tonnes to atleast 1.3 lakh tonnes.
The scheme sponsored by the Government of India was approved in February last year and a budget of Rs 174.6 crore was allocated for it over a period of three years from 2019-20 onwards. However, only five states – Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh – have started distribution of fortified rice under the scheme. The remaining 10 states are yet to identify districts for the scheme with less than half of the scheme’s duration remaining.
Fortifying rice involves grinding broken rice into powder, mixing it with nutrients, and then shaping it into rice-like kernels using an extrusion process. These fortified kernels are then mixed with normal rice in a 1:100 ratio, and distributed for consumption.