Rice milling operations across Punjab have hit a major roadblock, creating a dual crisis for the state's millers. They are already struggling with paddy grains severely damaged by recent floods and heavy rains. Now, fresh delays triggered by the central government's decision to introduce stringent pretesting for fortified rice kernels (FRKs) and stricter quality checks have brought the industry to a near standstill.
New Testing Protocols and Quota Requests
Millers are expressing deep concern over the delayed delivery of FRKs to their units. This delay is a direct result of an elaborate new pretesting protocol mandated by the Centre. The millers warn that this holdup will critically affect their production and delivery schedules. Out of the total 104 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice that Punjab must deliver, a significant portion—24 LMT of "improved rice" with a 10% broken component—must be supplied as fortified rice by March 31, 2026.
In response to this looming challenge, the Punjab government has formally intervened. In a letter dated November 28 to the Chairman of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the state has requested the allocation of a quota of non-fortified rice amounting to a minimum of 25 lakh metric tonnes. This request is based on a similar allocation previously granted by the FCI to Uttar Pradesh. The government has stated that if this quota is not provided, Punjab will be "constrained to seek an extension in the milling period for the delivery of rice during the Kharif Marketing Season 2025-26."
Compounding Crises: Quality Norms and Damaged Crops
The state government highlighted that the new pretesting protocols are likely to slow down the supply of FRKs from manufacturers to rice millers. Industry representatives acknowledge that while the Centre's new quality norms are welcome for ensuring standards, their timing is terrible. They have been introduced precisely when millers are battling to process grains already battered by natural calamities.
The urgency for quality checks was underscored by a recent incident in Jalandhar, where 10% of the "upgraded rice" supplied to the FCI was found to be defective. Following this discovery, the FCI took disciplinary action by suspending three of its staff members from Jalandhar, including two quality control managers. An official order noted that among all samples collected, two were found to exceed uniform specification limits and were deemed "beyond merchantability" upon analysis at the FCI headquarters. A miller stated that this firm action has caused panic within the milling community.
Industry in a State of Panic and Financial Fear
Ranjit Singh Jossan, the Vice-President of the Punjab Rice Industry Association, did not mince words, stating that the rice industry is in a full-blown crisis. "All millers in Punjab have stocks of rain-damaged paddy in their mills. Now, due to delays in the supply of FRK rice, milling operations are not starting," he explained. He reminded that the heavy rain and floods in Punjab this year caused massive damage to the paddy crop, and the Centre did not relax any quality parameters for the resulting rice, except during the initial procurement of paddy.
Jossan added that the rain-affected paddy, which is naturally low in quality, has now started showing more defects. "So far, only the 'chowki' grain issue has been dealt with, but industry representatives fear that other problems like damage and discoloration may surface in the coming days, which could further hurt millers," he warned.
Millers have issued a stark warning: any further delays in the milling process will lead to a daily deterioration in the quality of the stored rice, culminating in huge financial losses for the entire sector. They have urgently asked the Punjab government to intervene with the Centre to resolve the issue. Their key demands include seeking an exemption for rice produced from rain-damaged paddy and ensuring its timely approval to prevent a complete collapse of the season's operations.
