India, March 25 -- The Centre is set to approach the Cabinet with a proposal to reduce the allocation of broken rice in grains distributed under the public distribution system (PDS) from 25 per cent to 10 per cent, a move that would free roughly 90 lakh tonne of broken rice annually for the ethanol sector, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the All India Distillers' Association (AIDA) conference, Chopra said the proposal was aimed at providing the ethanol industry with a stable, year-round feedstock supply, reducing its dependence on whole grain stocks of the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

"Climate change is a reality. We need to make sure the supply chain is not disrupted. A steady supply of broken rice to the...