‘Bharat’ Rice available at physical and mobile outlets of KendriyaBhandar, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF)
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce and Industry, Shri PiyushGoyal launched the sale of Rice under ‘Bharat’ brand and flagged off 100 mobile vans recently.
Speaking at the event, Shri Goyal highlighted Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s sensitivity towards the people’s needs, emphasizing the government’s commitment to the welfare of both farmers and citizens. The government, under the leadership of PM Modi, ensures the stabilization of essential commodity prices by procuring them from farmers and selling them to consumers at subsidized rates when required.
The retail sale of ‘Bharat’ Rice aims to enhance market supplies at affordable rates, contributing to the ongoing moderation of prices for this crucial food item. The initiative is part of the government’s broader efforts to benefit consumers, with ‘Bharat’ Rice being made available in family-friendly 5 Kg and 10 Kg bags.
· Union Minister, Shri PiyushGoyal flags off 100 mobile vans for sale of Rice under ‘Bharat’ brand.
· Government of India committed towards welfare of farmers: Shri PiyushGoyal.
· Prime Minister is sensitive towards the need of all sections; price of essential food commodities kept in control under his watch: Shri PiyushGoyal
· The government intervened by purchasing essential food commodities from farmers and provided it to consumers at subsidised price, whenever needed: Shri Goyal
· Centre providing Bharat Rice, Bharat Atta, Bharat Dal, onion, sugar and oil at affordable prices to consumers
‘Bharat’ Rice will be available at all physical and mobile outlets of KendriyaBhandar, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) from today and will be expanded to other retail outlets and e- commerce platforms. ‘Bharat’ brand rice will be sold in family friendly 5 Kg and 10 Kg Bags. Bharat Rice will be sold at maximum retail price (MRP) of Rs. 29/kg.
Bharat Atta is already being sold by these 3 agencies @ Rs. 27.50 per Kg in 5Kg and 10 Kg packsfrom their physical retail outlets, mobile vans as well as through some other retail networks and e commerce platforms.
Similarly, Bharat Dal (chana dal) is also being sold by these 3 agencies @ Rs.60 per kg for 1kg pack and Rs.55 per kg for 30 kg pack along with onions @ Rs.25 per kg. Apart from these 3 agencies, state- controlled cooperatives of Telangana, Maharastra and Gujarat are also involved in retail sale of Bharat Dal. With the launch of sale of ‘Bharat’ Rice, consumers can get rice, atta, dal as well as onions from these outlets at fair and affordable prices.
Under the overall umbrella of PMGKAY (Pradhan MantriGaribKalyan Anna Yojana), farmers, general consumers, over 80 crore beneficiaries under the Targeted Public Distribution System, as well as other groups like school children, children in anganwadis, adolescent girls, children in hostels etc. are receiving benefits in different ways.
The Government of India (GoI) fixes the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for food grains, pulses, coarse grains, and millets to support farmers. The Price Support Scheme (PSS) is implemented through nationwide procurement operations, ensuring farmers benefit from the MSP. In the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 23-24, 262 LMT of wheat were procured from 21.29 lakh farmers at the declared MSP of Rs. 2125 per quintal, with a total procurement value of Rs. 55,679.73 crores.
Similarly, during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 22-23, 569 LMT of rice were procured from 124.97 lakh farmers at the declared MSP of Rs. 2060 per quintal for Grade ‘A’ paddy, totaling Rs. 1,74,368.70 crores. In the ongoing KMS 23-24, 414 LMT of rice has been procured as of 04.02.2024, from approximately 77.93 lakh farmers at the declared MSP of Rs. 2203 per quintal for Grade ‘A’ paddy, with a total value of Rs. 1,36,034 crores.
The procured wheat and rice are provided free of cost under the Pradhan MantriGaribKalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to about 80.7 crore beneficiaries through a network of around 5.38 lakh Fair Price Shops (FPS) across the country. The PMGKAY has been extended for an additional 5 years until 31.12.2028, ensuring continuity for one of the largest food and nutrition security programs globally.
Moreover, in the marketing season 22-23, about 7.37 LMT of coarse grains/millets were procured at MSP and distributed under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and other welfare schemes. In the current year, approximately 6.34 LMT of coarse grains/millets have been procured, and procurement activities are ongoing.
Several initiatives have been implemented to benefit consumers outside the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). The sale of ‘Bharat Atta,’ ‘Bharat Dal,’ ‘Bharat Rice,’ tomatoes, and onions at reasonable and equitable prices is a noteworthy step in this direction.
To date, significant quantities have been sold, including 2,75,936 metric tons of Bharat Atta, 2,96,802 metric tons of Chana dal, and 3,04,40,547 kilograms of onions, providing substantial benefits to ordinary consumers.
