Markfed creates record in paddy milling

Chandigarh, July 12 (UNI) Markfed, Asia's largest cooperative, has achieved a rare distinction by milling the entire stock of 24.34 lakh tonnes of paddy that it had procured last year.

This was made possible due to the effective steps taken for storage, safety and milling of the paddy stocks, with the result that 100 per cent of the stocks procured and stored in all districts of Punjab were milled. The resultant rice has already been delivered to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Markfed Managing Director G S Grewal said here today that in the last paddy season strict vigilance and regular monitoring was ensured to avoid delay or harassment to the farmers as well as any loss of paddy stocks. The steps taken ensured that paddy stocks were not pilfered/embezzled during the season and early milling was ensured, he added.

Mr Grewal further said that the paddy procurement and milling is a huge operation which has financial involvement of more than Rs 1700 crore and the paddy season last year has been free of any embezzlement.

Markfed as a state procurement agency is engaged in the procurement of paddy at minimum support price for last two decades.

Mr Grewal pointed out that under the custom milling policy of the state government, the paddy stocks so procured are required to be milled on custom basis within a stipulated period from the private rice mills as per the allocation made by the Food and Supplies department.

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