Govt will take steps to expand foodgrain storage facilities: Thomas

Announcing that formation of additional foodgrain storage was a main concern of the government, Minister of Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution K V Thomas said the government was taking all necessary steps to expand storage facilities.

A storage capacity of almost 64 million tonnes is presently available with Food Corporation of India, which includes about 46.5 million tonnes of covered capacity. Further capacity of 15.2 million tonnes is being developed under the Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee scheme through the private entrepreneurs and Central and State Warehousing Corporations, out of which 2.8 million tonnes capacity has been developed up to March 2012 and another nearly 5.2 million tonnes is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal 2012-13, and the balance by 2013-14.

While addressing a national workshop on 'Best Practices in TPDS and Food Fortification, organized by Department of Food and World Food Programme, Thomas said, the government has also approved creation of a capacity of 2.0 million tonnes in silos. In North Eastern states, it has finalized a scheme for creation of total storage capacity of 5.40 lakh tonnes.

By adding further he said, ‘with the expanding foodgrains production and its procurement by the government, it becomes incumbent of the government to ensure its safe storage. Our government is taking all necessary steps to expand storage facilities.’

On the front of procurement of foodgrains as well there has been steady increase. While the average annual procurement of rice and wheat during 2000-01 to 2006-07 was 38.22 lakh tonnes i.e. 24.3% of the average production, it increased to about 57 million tonnes during 2007-08 to 2010-11 i.e. 32.2% of the production.