Kerala revises wheat distribution policy to prevent food grain wastage
The Kerala government has restructured the distribution of wheat received under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) as part of the state's tide-over allocation. The decision aims to prevent wastage of food grains within the public distribution system.
The reform is based on a report by the Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs. Earlier guidelines required that the entire tide-over wheat allocation be converted into wheat flour (atta) for distribution. However, an assessment revealed that flour production began to exceed consumer demand, raising concerns that surplus flour could spoil or be diverted for cattle feed manufacturing.
Under the revised policy, priority will continue to be given to converting wheat into flour to meet existing demand. The total requirement for wheat flour will be calculated at the district level. Once the required quantity is set aside for milling, the remaining grain will be distributed directly to beneficiaries as whole wheat.
Kerala's total tide-over allocation stands at 33,294.198 metric tonnes (MT), comprising 26,835.124 MT of rice and 6,459.074 MT of wheat.
