Rice millers push for policy reforms to boost sustainability
Rice millers and young entrepreneurs in Malerkotla are advocating for policy reforms to enhance sustainability in rice milling. They propose allowing alternative uses for different rice grades, such as allocating broken rice to ethanol production for fuel blending. They also seek a stable export policy to alleviate pressures on the industry
Young entrepreneurs having invested in rice milling industries during past years have urged the Centre to review its policy and to allow alternative uses of rice of various grades.
Among the major remedies cited to resolve the ensuing agrarian crisis were the allocation of a part of broken rice to grain-based distilleries to produce ethanol to blend with petrol and liberal export policy.
Rice millers said successive governments in the Centre and the state have failed to ensure perpetual feasibility of the rice shelling industry by bringing a long-term policy that protects the interests of all stakeholders, including growers, commission agents and rice sheller owners.
A third-generation rice miller, Karan Karir, said, “No rice miller has been able to earn a stable profit for a couple of years. Every alternative season, several rice millers failed to break even.” He added his assets were at stake owing to the poor rice milling policies.
He said he was happy that the Central Government had implemented a food security scheme till 2028; however, he said parameters regarding broken rice percentage and export policy norms should be reviewed too, keeping in view the ensuing severest agrarian crisis due to plenty of paddy in the nation.
Source Link : https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/rice-millers-push-for-policy-reforms-to-boost-sustainability/
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