Alarming! foodgrains 'Open-Covered 80:20 storage ratio'

Ferozepur, August 28, 2012: As per the information, storage of foodgrains on unscientific plinths in open is one of the major reasons for damage of stocks besides slow movement to the deficit states resulting in carry over of stocks of old crops.  Foodgrain is also a perishable item and has limited shelf life; the need of the hour is to change the focus from production to scientific storage.

While talking to the regional manager retired from warehousing corporation, N.C.Rana said, "Both the government and society has to seriously think over to solve problem of storage accommodation especially for the Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pardesh, which account for over 80- per cent of India’s total production, by taking the opinion of experienced persons of various food departments to save the estimated 7% of the country’s annual grain production which goes waste due to insufficient storage space and inefficient transport and distribution net works"

He further said, "The shortage of accommodation for storage of foodgrains is due to the fact that the existing storage charges are not sufficient enough in comparison to the ratio of repayment of loan on the heavy investment for construction of godowns including the cost o the land and this is the reason that more people are not coming forward for construction of covered scientific godowns. The stocks stored in covered scientific godowns are having the benefit of being under the direct control of the staff of the agencies under lock and key and avoiding the chances of pilferage and embezzlement in the event of storage on open plinths".

 The government has to take the initiative in arranging the mechanised infrastructure, silos and storage of foodgrains in the deficit states. The storage space cannot be created instantly, it would be better to issue the grains to flour millers and traders who have covered storage space in a transparent and market-friendly manner, he added.