Thanjai mill owners deny FCI report on poor quality of rice

TIRUCHY: Thanjavur district rice mill owners on Friday denied the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) report about the poor quality rice procured in the district and claimed that the rice appeared yellow, but no worms visible in the stock.

Speaking to reporters, Thanjavur Rice Mill Agents Federation president Vijayakumar said that the news about FCI reporting poor quality of rice from Thanjavur has been going viral for the past two days. The report claimed that the colour of the rice, which has been stocked in the godown owned by TNCSC at Kumbakonam appeared to be yellow and rectified before distribution. “We were asked to procure the paddy with more moisture condition and so the rice after hulling appeared yellow and there were no worms,” he said.

During the previous season, there was a heavy rain across Delta region during the harvest time and so the TNCSC had procured paddy with more moisture condition of 21 per cent than the mandatory level of 17 per cent. “Chief Minister MK Stalin has asked the rice mills to use colour sorter machines to remove the black and yellow rice and we have commenced the works accordingly,” he said.