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Informist, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026

 

MUMBAI – The Centre has decided to temporarily discontinue the process of rice fortification under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and allied schemes until a more effective mechanism for delivery of nutrients to beneficiaries is identified, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said in a release Friday. Fortification of rice has been temporarily discontinued, citing concerns over nutrient degradation during prolonged storage, according to the release.

 

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur assessed the shelf life of fortified rice kernels and fortified rice under actual storage conditions in diverse agro climatic zones in the country. Based on the assessment, factors such as moisture content, storage conditions, temperature, relative humidity and packaging material critically influence the stability and shelf life of fortified rice, the release said.  

 

"They are susceptible to micronutrient reduction and shortening of shelf life during prolonged storage and routine handling," it said. This reduction is rendering the effective shelf life shorter than expected and, in turn, limiting the intended nutritional outcomes. 

 

Considering procurement volumes and annual offtake, rice remains in storage for two to three years. Against an annual allocation of 37.2 million tonnes under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and other welfare schemes, the total availability in the central pool is projected at 67.4 million tonnes, including receipts due from kharif marketing season 2025-26 (Oct-Sept).

 

This decision of temporary discontinuation of fortification process does not entail any reduction in foodgrain entitlements and will not affect operations under the public distribution system, integrated child development services, or the mid-day meal scheme, according to the release. For kharif marketing season 2025-26 as well as pending receipts from 2024-25, states and Union Territories have been given flexibility, as a transitional measure, to supply either fortified rice or non-fortified rice, at their discretion, keeping in view operational and logistical considerations, the release said.  End

 

Reported by Taniva Singha Roy

Edited by Tanima Banerjee

 

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