Parboiled Rice

The Centre has decided to stop the purchase of excess parboiled rice of which Telangana is the major producer. The Telangana Chief minister and members of the Cabinet staged a dharna demanding a uniform paddy procurement policy. As per the dictionary parboil means partly cooked by boiling. The expression parboiled rice refers to rice that has been partially boiled at the paddy stage before milling.

Parboiling of rice has been followed in India since ancient times and is not a new practice. As per FCI or the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, there is no specific definition of parboiled rice yet.

Raw Rice Consumption

About

  • A method is used by the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) , Mysuru wherein the paddy is soaked in hot water for three hours compared to the more common method in which it is soaked for eight hours.
  • The water is drained thereafter and the paddy is steamed for twenty minutes.
  • As per the CFTRI method, the paddy is dried in the shade but in the common method it is dried in the Sun.
  • A method known as Chromate Soaking Process is followed by the Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC) , Thanjavur wherein chromate (a family of salt) is used with anions containing both chromium and oxygen removing the odour from the wet rice.
  • All varieties generally can be used into parboiled rice but it is ideal to use long slender varieties for preventing breakage during milling.
  • The aromatic varieties should not be parboiled since the process can make it lose its aroma.
  • The government stated that the Food Corporation of India cannot procure surplus parboiled rice due to sufficient stocks.
  • Under the PDS, there is no demand for such grain.
  • The demand for parboiled rice has come down in recent years.
  • Telangana which is a surplus parboiled producing region doesn՚t consume parboiled rice. It only produces which is always surplus and delivered to FCI.
  • The production in parboiled rice in the last few years has increased in its consuming states such as Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu leading to less movement to the deficit states.

Advantages of Parboiled Rice

  • Rice Becomes Tougher on Parboiling and the Chances of the Rice Kernel Breaking During Milling is Reduced.
  • The nutrient value of the rice increases.
  • Higher resistance to insects and fungi.

Disadvantages of Parboiled Rice

  • Rice becomes darker and may smell unpleasant.
  • Higher investment is required than a raw rice milling unit.

Rice

  • A kharif crop that requires high temperature above 25°C along with high humidity and annual rainfall above 100 cm.
  • This crop is grown in the plains of:
    • North and north-eastern India
    • Coastal areas
    • Deltaic regions
  • Among the rice producing states, West Bengal tops the list followed by Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Examrace Team at Jul 24, 2022