Rice Fortification

Rice fortification is a cost effective and culturally appropriate strategy to address micronutrient deficiency in countries with high per capita rice consumption. As per Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, India’s rice production has increased at Compound Annual Growth (CAGR) of 1.43% 2005-06 and 2016-17. India was the second leading rice producer followed by Indonesia and Bangladesh in 2015-16. Fortifying rice makes it more nutritious by adding vitamins and minerals in the post-harvest phase, many of which are lost during the milling and polishing process. Rice fortification may be considered as having the highest potential to fill the gap in the staple food fortification programs as it is the staple food of 65 percent of the Indian population and reaches the most vulnerable and poorer section with the highest uptake in the government safety net programmes. The food and civil supplies department of each state empanels a number of rice millers in each district for regular supply or rice to the FCI, from which it is distributed to the social safety net schemes.