Why is it in the news?

• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the subsidised Sabari K-Rice, criticizing the Centre’s ‘Bharat Rice’ initiative as driven by profit and political motives.
• He highlighted that while rice under the Bharat Rice initiative was being sold at ₹29/kg, the K-Rice scheme provides rice at ₹29-30/kg after a subsidy of almost ₹11/kg.

More about the news

• The K-Rice initiative aims to make rice available at affordable rates, with varieties like Jaya, Matta, and Kuruva being offered.
• The Sabari K-Rice launch considers the branding requirements of Supplyco, which competes with other brands in the market.
• Vijayan criticized the Union government’s decision to bar governments and State-run agencies from sourcing food grains through the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).
• He noted that Kerala’s quota of food grains reduced after the enactment of the National Food Security Act and expressed discontent over the reduced flexibility in sourcing additional rice during times of higher demand.