Growth Pattern of Food Grain Storage Capacity in India: An Agency-wise Analysis

The study examines the trend and growth pattern in food grain storage infrastructure in India, with special emphasis on Punjab, the leading state in grain production in the country. Secondary data were extracted from authentic and published reports like WDRA, CWC, FCI and Punjab Statistical Abstracts. The paper highlights that while the total warehouse capacity of the country increased progressively from 300 to more than 1000 lakh metric tonnes between 2010–11 and 2023–24, growth across different agencies varied considerably. SWCs led with the highest growth of 7.33 per cent, while FCI and CWC followed with 1.31 per cent and 1.03 per cent respectively, indicating merely a moderate expansion in central storage infrastructure. In Punjab, the warehousing capacity recorded a marginal decline of -0.65 per cent CAGR during the same period, indicating stagnation and uneven growth between state and central agencies. CWC has made reasonable progress in the state, while other agencies, such as the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation and the Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation, have shown a decline. The findings underscore the pressing needfor policy intervention to establish decentralised, technology-enabled and farmer-accessible warehousing systems, thereby reducing post-harvest losses and strengthening national food security.