Grain storage research: handling and storage of food grains in India

Abstract

Sustained crop production efforts have resulted in self sufficiency in food grains in India with production increasing to 264.77 Mt during 2013- 2014. During 2014–15, 60.18 Mt food grains comprising of 32.16 Mt of rice and 28.02 Mt of wheat was procured for the Central Pool for meeting the requirement of Public Distribution System (PDS) and other welfare schemes. Capacity available with major storage agencies in the public sector for storage of food grains is about 60 Mt thus requiring utilization of private and cooperative sector storage capacity and storing some quantity of food grains in open temporary storage structures. There are sustained efforts to augment storage capacity, both for bulk and bag storage, through private sector participation by extending various fiscal incentives. However, in order to modernize the system of handling and storage of food grains there is an urgent need to fast track the private sector participation in creating grain storage silos in procurement and consuming areas, particularly for strategic/buffer stocking of wheat. Handling, storage and transportation of food grains in India is done mostly in bags of 50 kg capacity each. Food grains are liable to deterioration due to various biotic and abiotic factors. Prerequisites of scientific storage of food grains for loss minimization is by execution of regular hygiene monitoring, prophylactic, and curative treatments. Though, there is a greater reliance on phosphine fumigation for longer preservation of food grains, an integrated approach is suggested to minimize chemical pesticide application. Recent efforts of Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority for registration of warehouses for issuing Negotiable Warehouse Receipts for easy credit to farmers on their deposited goods will go a long way in revolutionizing the food grain storage system in the country.