Haryana Rice Millers Concerned Over New CMR Policy
22-Sep-2025 04:13 PM
Karnal. Harvesting of the new kharif paddy crop in Haryana is expected to gain momentum soon, followed by the start of government procurement. The paddy purchased from farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) is allocated to rice millers for custom milling, after which the millers are required to supply the resulting rice to government agencies. This process is carried out every year, and the state government frequently makes changes to the Custom Milled Rice (CMR) policy. The recent changes in the CMR policy, however, are likely to hit rice millers hard, prompting strong opposition from them.
Under the revised policy, rice millers have been instructed to deliver rice within a fixed timeline after receiving their paddy allocation, failing which action can be taken against them. Additionally, the rice delivered must not contain more than 10 percent broken grains, whereas earlier up to 25 percent broken was accepted. This stricter requirement could make it difficult for millers to sell the remaining rice. The central government wants to ensure higher-quality rice supply under the Public Distribution System (PDS), and has issued specific guidelines to major producing states in this regard.
Another major blow to Haryana’s rice millers comes from a new rule stating that they will not be reimbursed for transportation costs incurred in moving paddy to warehouses. This is expected to sharply reduce their profit margins.