FORTIFIED RICE TO BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

In a first of its kind, initiative to ensure food security along with nutritional security, the Yogi government in UP has taken up a project to distribute fortified rice through public distribution system.

Rice is a staple food in many parts of the state. The fortified rice will have food and nutritional supplements with sufficient quantity of iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B, Vitamin B12, folic acid and various other micro-nutrients. It will also be having medicinal values. UP chief minister launched this programme virtually for model district Chandauli, one of the aspirational districts in the state. All the ration shops of Chandauli will distribute fortified rice from February while the entire state will be covered from the end of this year. The state government is creating awareness to ensure that fortified rice becomes an eating habit because of its nutritional value. The rice will be distributed through ration cards from the ration shops where the number of people taking the facility of subsidised food grains is more. Therefore, for the section of society that is more sensitive in terms of malnutrition, it will also work as a medicine. Fortified rice is the normal rice that is to be coated with the required amount of iron, vitamins and micronutrients as a layer over it. Millers will also be benefited by processing this rice and it will also generate employment at the local level in the MSME sector. Along with this, the Kala Namak rice of Siddharthnagar, which is rich in zinc and iron, will also gain popularity and its demand will also increase. The local farmers will also be benefiting from it in terms of increased income.