HYDERABAD: Hit hard by the decision of the FCI not to lift custom-milled rice from Telangana, millers are contemplating shutting down their mills to force the State government to withdraw its stocks from the mills. The Rice Millers Association said that the mills have been suffering losses running into lakhs. With the FCI decision, mills stopped milling the paddy procured by the St-ate government from June 7.
The State government offered to sell the paddy to the millers at a price lower than it offered to farmers. However, teh offer does not seem to attract the millers. Speaking to Express, Rice Millers Association president Gampa Nagendra said that the Centre is likely to ban rice exports after wheat. “If this happens, we will be stuck with the stock. There will be no buyers,” Nagendra said. When asked about the alleged irregularities in the rice mills, he asked: “Why should all the rice mills suffer due to the wrongdoings of some?”