FCI Aims to Cut Broken Grains in 50 Lakh Tonne Rice Stock

25-Jul-2025 03:01 PM

New Delhi. After the success of a pilot project in four states last year, the Central Government is preparing to reduce the percentage of broken grains in 50 lakh tonnes of rice stock during the current year. This move aims to improve the overall quality of rice, which could help fetch better prices when auctioned in the open market.

Last year, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) directed some rice millers in Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh to separate 15 percent broken grains from a stock of 10,000 tonnes of rice. Under the Custom Milled Rice (CMR) system, each of these states was asked to separate broken grains from 10,000 tonnes of rice stock, with the goal of reducing the share of broken rice by 25 percent in the central pool procurement.

The government has earmarked a stock of 52 lakh tonnes of rice for ethanol production and intends for this stock to consist entirely of broken rice.

As per the scheme, after separating 15 percent broken grains from the whole rice stock, the remaining rice will contain no more than 10 percent broken grains. This higher-quality rice is expected to attract a better price in the market.

To implement this scheme effectively, rice millers under the CMR system will be required to deliver 85 quintals of rice with no more than 10 percent broken content, and the remaining 15 quintals as fully broken rice, when supplying 100 quintals of rice to FCI.

According to Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra, the rice with up to 10 percent broken content will be sold through the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to encourage buyers to pay higher prices. Meanwhile, the fully broken rice will primarily be supplied to ethanol manufacturers.