A study on problems encountered in procurement, storage and handling of cereals by procurement agencies in India

Cereals are the staple food for the vast majority of the people in India and across the world. Along with the efficient production of cereal grains, storage of the produced grains needs to be equally emphasized in the present scenario of growing population. The problems encountered during the procurement, storage and handling of cereals by the agencies have been investigated in the present study. Information was gathered through an e-survey of officials from agencies involved in the procurement and/or storage offood grains in India. The results of the survey revealed that the main problems faced during the process ofprocurement and storage were; low quality of the grains brought to the procurement centers by the farmers, risk of damage due to biotic factors like insects, pests, rodents and birds. Requirement of large capital to run the Food Corporation of India (FCI), labour scarcity, especially in peak periods ofprocurement, lack of advanced storage structures were the main concerns required to be addressed from the institutional point of view. The study identified some policy measures such as; enhancing the storage capacity of the FCI by building advanced storage structures at key locations and developing improved scientific methods to ensure the safe storage of grains and improve food security in the country.