Unseen Passage: Lack of Grain Storage Facilities

The Food Bill is still in the works but has provoked a furious debate on the lack of grain storage facilities, rotting of grains and whether they should be distributed free to the hungry masses. Waking up to the fact that no food security programme can be effective without proper storage, the government is now planning to upgrade existing warehousing facilities and also add new ones. However, between food security and large scale storage, there is a missing link that needs to be taken note of: storage at the farm level. No one can deny the importance of decentralised storage; at least 25-30 percent of grains in the country are stored at the farm level.

However, it’s not as if there hasn’t been enough thrust on this issue: there are State Institutes to look into the storage problems.

Yet, policy-wise we did have a sound start: the Save Grain Campaign, which was initiated 43 years ago, was supposed to do what we are floundering on now. Through this campaign, the centre was to initiate and train states in the warehousing and storage of grains. The centre wanted the states to take it up on a large scale but the latter did not want any ‘‘added responsibility.’’ Finding no takers, the campaign was withdrawn in 2008.

“Around 15-20 percent food grain loss occur in large storage godowns. Along with investment in large storage capacities, we must encourage farm-level storage. This can be in the form of refining and improving the local/indigenous storage technologies and providing technical and financial support at that level,” says M.B. Chetti, Dean, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka.

He and many experts like him suggest that if we want to leapfrog in storage capacity at the farm level (since setting up large storage is time-consuming and expensive), new technologies like vacuum packaging could be the answer. They assure quality as well as a chance to store grains almost anywhere and that it can be done in villages by trained persons.

“Alternatively, we have to go for cold storage facilities for food grains, which is very costly since it involves electricity supply”, says Chetti. “Instead, vacuum packing,” say, experts,” helps preserve grains and seeds for long periods without any deterioration in quality. In fact, an experiment was carried out in the university on the usefulness of the packaging system (using chilli) and the results were satisfactory. The available technology offers a seven-layer packing to preserve quality for long periods of time and once sealed, climatic changes have no effect on it. Elimination of oxygen from the pack helps in extending shelf life.”

“At present only three-layer plastic films are manufactured in India. The seven-layered film needs to be imported. But the import duty is high,” says Mohan Bajikar, ” of course, such technologies are expensive, but then delivering to the hungry isn’t enough-quality must be ensured.”

Food policy analyst Devinder Sharma, however, says “Expensive solutions like Silos and warehousing are not the answer to procurement and storage problems.” Instead, he says, “Local production, local procurement and local distribution” is the answer, something like what Chattisgarh has been doing. It procures paddy directly from farmers, buying it through cooperative societies and procurement centres at the village level.” To store,” he adds, “the government can add a small godown next to each panchayat ghar.”

Whichever way we look at it, decentralised storage cannot be left out of the loop if we want to ensure food security and reduce stock losses.

Q. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following questions by choosing the correct option given below:

1. The necessity of proper storage has been realized because
   1. there is lack of grain storage facilities.
   2. grain is lying in the open and rotting.
   3. no food security is possible without it.
   4. masses are hungry and without grain.
2. Decentralised storage stresses upon
   1. storage at farm level.
   2. storage at block level.
   3. storage at district level.
   4. storage at state level.
3. The ‘Save Grain Campaign’ was withdrawn after 43 years because
   1. the centre did not spare funds.
   2. proper training in warehousing was lacking.
   3. the states did not show any interest.
   4. the states did not want any added responsibility.
4. The most cost-effective solution for storage of grain is
   1. cold storage facilities.
   2. decentralised storage.
   3. setting up large warehouses.
   4. vacuum packaging.
5. Experts reject silos and warehousing because
   1. these are very costly solutions.
   2. local storage and distribution is more effective.
   3. these are inadequate for storage.
   4. these fail to reduce stock losses.
6. The word ‘facilities’ in para 6 means
   1. aptitude
   2. dexterity
   3. conveniences
   4. buildings for a particular purpose.
7. What should we do if we want to leapfrog in storage capacity at farm-level? (A)
   1. Set up large storages with state funds
   2. Use new technologies like vacuum packaging
   3. Involve state governments in the storage systems
   4. Use cold storage facility
8. What is the alternate to large storage godowns?
   1. Small storage godowns
   2. Cold storage facilities
   3. Farm-level storage
   4. Seven-layer packing
9. What are the advantages of vacuum packing?
   1. It helps preserve grains and seeds for long periods.
   2. It can be done in villages by trained persons.
   3. It can be done without any technical and financial support.
   4. It eliminates oxygen and bacteria.
10. What is one option to prevent rotting of grains?
    1. Distribute it free among the poor.
    2. Export it abroad to poor countries.
    3. Stop producing extra grains.
    4. Create better storage facilities.

Answer

1. no food security is possible without it.
2. storage at farm level.
3. the states did not show any interest.
4. setting up large warehouses.
5. these are very costly solutions.
6. conveniences.
7. Use new technologies like vacuum packaging
8. Farm-level storage
9. It helps preserve grains and seeds for long periods.
10. Create better storage facilities

Q. Answer the following questions in brief:

1. No one can deny the importance of _____________ .
2. The centre wanted the state to take it up on a large scale but the latter did not want any _____________ .
3. They assure _____________ as well as a chance to store grains almost anywhere.
4. “ _____________ of oxygen from the pack helps in extending shelf life.”
5. Find the words from the passage which are similar in meaning.
   1. improve (Para 1)
   2. native (Para 4)

Answer

1. decentralized
2. added responsibility
3. quality
4. Elimination
5. Words are:
   1. upgrade
   2. indigenous