Fair and Average Quality (FAQ) norms

Fair and Average Quality (FAQ) norms

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Context:

The Centre on Sunday (May 15) relaxed the Fair and Average Quality (FAQ) norms for wheat in the ongoing rabi marketing season in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh.

Reason and Changes:

• The permissible limit of “shriveled and broken grains” is raised to 18% from the existing 6%.
• Due to unseasonal heat in March, when the rabi crop goes through its grain-filling stage, has led to shriveling, making the grain unfit for procurement as per the usual quality norms.

About Fair and Average Quality(FAQ) norms

• Every year, before procurement begins in this region in April, the Storage and Research (S&R) division of the Department of Food & Public Distribution in the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, notifies specifications to ensure the quality of the procured wheat.
• This year, wheat containing up to 0.75% foreign matter, 2% damaged grain, 4% slightly damaged grain, 6% shriveled and broken grain, and 12% moisture was cleared for procurement.
• The specifications are implemented at the time of procurement by qualified personnel from the quality control wing of the central government’s nodal agency for procurement, the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
• The government has in the past relaxed norms for moisture content and loss of luster following heavy rain during the harvesting season, when ripe crops were flattened, and the grain turned blackish. This is for the first time, however, that such a major relaxation has been allowed for shriveled grain.
• This relaxation of procurement parameters is to “reduce the hardship of farmers and avoid distress sale of wheat” as there is no loss of quality.
• It is just that the wheat will now be called “Under Relaxed Specifications (URS) wheat” instead of FAQ.