GS Paper 3:
Topics Covered: Different crops and cropping patterns.
Context:
The Centre has said it will stop the purchase of excess parboiled rice, of which Telangana is a major producer.
- The demand for parboiled rice has come down in recent years.
What is parboiled rice?
It is rice that has been partially boiled at the paddy stage, before milling. Parboiling of rice is not a new practice, and has been followed in India since ancient times.
How is it prepared today?
There are several processes for parboiling rice. For example:
- CFTRI, Mysuru, uses a method in which the paddy is soaked in hot water for three hohours. The water is then drained and the paddy steamed for 20 minutes. Also, the paddy is dried in the shade.
- Chromate soaking process: It uses chromate, a family of salt in which the anion contains both chromium and oxygen, which removes the odour from the wet rice.
All processes generally involve three stages — soaking, steaming and drying. After passing through these stages, the paddy goes for milling.
What are the benefits?
- Parboiling makes rice tougher. This reduces the chances of the rice kernel breaking during milling.
- Parboiling also increases the nutrient value of the rice.
- Parboiled rice has a higher resistance to insects and fungi.
Disadvantages:
- The rice becomes darker and may smell unpleasant due to prolonged soaking.
- Besides, setting up a parboiling rice milling unit requires a higher investment than a raw rice milling unit.
Sources: Indian Express
