CM Yogi’s initiative for fortified rice distribution

Lucknow In an initiative to facilitate distribution of 'fortified rice' to 15.05 crore beneficiaries of the Centre's Rice Fortification Scheme, covered under the National Food Security Act across Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has started allotting paddy to only those rice mills in the state which have blenders installed.

Notably, in the second phase of the scheme, 64,365 ration shops have been selected in 60 districts of the state for distribution of fortified rice to 12 crore beneficiaries covered under NFSA with an annual allocation of 46.10 lakh metric tonnes.

Rice is the staple food of 65 per cent of the country's population and India is also the largest producer and consumer of rice, contributing 22 per cent of world's total production of rice. Fortified rice is richer than normal rice in terms of nutrition because milling and processing typically removes the fat and micronutrient from normal rice, whereas fortified rice retains all of these properties.

Vitamin B-1, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin E, Niacin, Iron, Zinc, Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12 and Vitamin A are preserved and enriched with micronutrients through the blending process in fortified rice and it can help solve many health-related problems in people, including anaemia, in the country. The process of its distribution is being promoted in the country through the Rice Fortification Scheme of NFSA.