The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is using technology for bringing further transparency in its operations with the development of procurement portal, automation of depot operations (DOS) to transform food supply management system, adoption of electronic file system (e-file), online financial accounting system (FAP), installation of CCTVs across its facilities and implementation of online human resource management software.

The procurement portal is developed to provide a one-window facility to the farmers to ensure transparency and timely payment of MSP to the farmers.

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Talking to The Statesman, Sachindra Kumar Patnaik (IRSS:1997), Executive Director (North Zone), Food Corporation of India (FCI), Noida, said, “One of the objectives of the FCI is to provide the right value of its produce to the farmers. For which the FCI procures wheat and rice at MSP from the farmers and directly transfer the amount in the farmers’ accounts.”

Patnaik explained the role and functioning of the FCI in serving the country by providing food security to the nation.

The FCI is the nodal agency for implementing the food policies of the GOI and its main function includes procurement from farmers at MSP, storage, movement of the foodgrains, its distribution under NFSA and other welfare schemes formulated to ensure food security to the nation.

The FCI is divided into five zones. Among them, North Zone is the largest in respect of area as well as operations like procurement, storage, distribution and movement of stocks to deficit regions to meet the requirement of foodgrains under PDS/OWS providing food security to the nation.

The FCI, North Zone situated at Noida controls the operations of ten states/UTs of North India namely Punjab, Haryana, UP, J&K, HP, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, UT of Chandigarh and Ladakh. The surplus foodgrains procured in the states of Punjab and Haryana not only feed the other states of North Zone but are also moved through road and rail to other parts of the country to meet requirements under NFSA/OWS.

Patnaik said the role of the FCI has become more important as “we are celebrating 2023 as the International Year of Millets”.

The Government of India had proposed to the United Nations (UN) that the year 2023 be declared the International Year of Millets (IYOM). The proposal of India was supported by 72 countries, and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2023 the IYOM. Most of the millets are native to India and are popularly known as nutri-cereals, as they provide most of the nutrients required for normal functioning of the human body.

Millets are gluten-free, highly nutritious, and rich in dietary fibre, making them easy for the body to absorb. Rich in micronutrients (Calcium, Iron, and phosphorus), all millets show high antioxidant activity, and some of the millets are associated with the prevention of diabetes.

Patnaik said the FCI, North Zone is focussing on generating awareness amongst the general public regarding benefits of millets. He said state government/agencies are being actively persuaded to introduce millets in various social welfare programmes with request to furnish requirements of coarse grains under NFSA, ICDS and MDM.

The FCI executive director emphasised the usefulness of the ongoing OMSS (D) scheme for price stabilisation of foodgrain in the country.

The FCI is conducting a weekly e-auction of wheat and rice from its depots. For flour mills/processors/atta chakki/ manufacturers of wheat products/end users under Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) of the government of India for which tender is floated on every Friday and e-auction occurs on every Wednesday of a week. An empanelled party can buy a minimum of 10 mt and a maximum of 100 mt wheat and for rice, an empanelled party can buy a minimum of 10 mt and maximum of 1000 mt.

For details/updates on the tender floated and for subsequent such tenders, once can visit a FCI website, www.fci. gov.in, or mjunction website http://www.valuejunction.in/fci.

“The basic aim is to ensure availability of foodgrains at reasonable prices in the open market,” he said.

The focus of the FCI is quality control on foodgrains. Towards this end, Patnaik said that the FCI has directed setting up of a state-of-the-art laboratory under every zonal office of the FCI with the scope of testing of pesticide residues, mycotoxins, uric acid in foodgrains and level of fortificants present in fortified rice.

He informed that a state-of-the-art laboratory for North Zone is coming up at Panchkula in Haryana.

On the storage of foodgrains, he said the storage plan of the FCI is to ensure fulfillment of the storage requirements for maintaining necessary stocks for smooth functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) and other welfare schemes undertaken by the government of India. Adequate number of scientific storages is necessary to fulfill the policy objectives assigned to the FCI for which the corporation has a network of strategically located own scientific storage depots including silos all over India.

“Storage systems are being further modernised by encouraging silos construction,” he disclosed.

He further said that the FCI though has its own storage capacity, hired storage capacities from Central Warehousing Corporation, State warehousing corporations and agencies and private parties for short term as well as for a stipulated period under the Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee Scheme (PEG) and Private Warehousing Scheme(PWS).

To strengthen the provisions of NFSA in terms of accessibility, affordability and availability of entitled foodgrains for the poor and to ensure effective and uniform implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, the Central government has decided to provide free of cost foodgrains under PMGKAY scheme to NFSA beneficiaries from January 1, 2023.

Further to overcome the problem of underweight, malnutrition, anaemia, etc. among children, the government of India had decided to introduce fortified rice in the MDM and ICDS schemes which are being extended to NFSA in a phased manner. Rice fortification is the process of addition of Vitamins and micro nutrients such as iron, folic acid and Vitamin B12 to rice to meet daily nutritional requirements of vulnerable sections.

It was informed that the FCI, Delhi Region is issuing fortified rice across all the schemes from March, 2023. The FCI has been involved in the entire exercise of capacity building for rice mills, quality control and spreading awareness to sensitise all stakeholders about the benefits of consuming fortified rice from the state down to the Fair Price Shops (FPSs) and local beneficiaries.