Lok Sabha Question No. 6179 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-11
Subject: Shortage of Storage Capacity
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: DIPSINH SHANKARSINH RATHOD, DEVUSINH JESINGBHAI CHAUHAN, KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6179

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  APRIL, 2017

## SHORTAGE OF STORAGE CAPACITY

6179.

SHRI D.S. RATHOD:

SHRI KANWAR SINGH TANWAR:

SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN:

SHRI KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the country faces huge shortage of storage capacity as the existing godowns and warehouses have failed to keep pace with the rising production and procurement of foodgrains, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether several companies from other countries have shown interest and  offered  a  helping  hand  in  building  foodgrains  storage  capacity  in  the country and if so, the details thereof and the response of Government in this regard;
- (c) the details of FCI godowns constructed in the last two years under PEG scheme;
- (d) the details of modern silos constructed or in progress in the last two years; and
- (e) whether the Government has any data regarding the hiring of private warehouses to keep the foodgrains and if so, the details thereof?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE FOR  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a):   No, Madam. On the basis of peak stock requirement during procurement season,  the  overall  storage  capacity  required  in  the  country  is  about  600 Lakh MT. Against this, the total capacity available with Food Corporation of India  (FCI)  and  State  Agencies  for  storage  of  foodgrains  as  on  28.02.2017 was 776.25 lakh MT.   Thus,  on  the  overall,  there  is  sufficient  capacity  for storage of foodgrains in the country.

The peak stock requirement generally happens on 1st June every year. The  trend  of  peak  stock  on  1 st   June  and  the  corresponding  storage  capacity available during the last four years is given as below:

(Fig. in Lakh MT)

| Date     |   Storage capacity owned by FCI |   Storage capacity hired by FCI |   Storage capacity with State agencies |   Total Storage capacity |   Stock position |
|----------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------------|------------------|
| 01.06.13 |                          156.33 |                          240.69 |                                 354.28 |                   751.3  |           676.59 |
| 01.06.14 |                          156.47 |                          226.58 |                                 375.47 |                   758.52 |           622.31 |
| 01.06.15 |                          153.42 |                          215.33 |                                 357.68 |                   726.43 |           568.34 |
| 01.06.16 |                          154.15 |                          208.32 |                                 449.47 |                   811.94 |           534.29 |

(b):  No,  Madam.  The  Government  has  not  received  any  proposal  from  any company  of  foreign  countries  to  build  foodgrains  storage  capacity  in  the country.

(c):    During  the  year 2008, Private Entrepreneur Guarantee (PEG) Scheme was formulated to augment the storage capacity in the country. The FCI Godowns constructed in the last two years and the current year is as given below:-

(Figures in Lakh MT)

|   Sl. |   2014-15 |   2015-16 |   2016-17 (upto 28.02.2017) |
|-------|-----------|-----------|-----------------------------|
|     1 |       8.3 |      6.46 |                        2.56 |

(d):    Government has approved an action plan for construction of steel silos in the  country  for  a  capacity  of  100  Lakh  MT  in  3  phases  as  per  details  given below:

| Year    | Selection of Silo Operator (LMT)   | Silo Completion (LMT)   |
|---------|------------------------------------|-------------------------|
| 2016-17 | 36.25 LMT (Phase - 1)              | 5 LMT                   |
| 2017-18 | 29.00 LMT (Phase - 2)              | 15 LMT                  |
| 2018-19 | 34.75 LMT (Phase - 3)              | 30 LMT                  |
| 2019-20 | -                                  | 50 LMT                  |
| Total   | 100 LMT                            | 100 LMT                 |

Against the above plan, Silo Operator for 37.5 LMT have been selected at 72 locations and silos of capacity 4.5 LMT at 9 locations have been completed during last two years as on 28.02.2017.

(e):      Yes,  Madam.    The  details  of  storage  capacities  hired  by  the  Food Corporation of India (FCI) to keep foodgrains during last three years are given below:-

(Fig. in Lakh MT)

| Scheme                                                          |   2013-14 |   2014-15 |   2015-16 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Private warehouses hired for short term requirement             |     16.79 |     13.43 |     12.35 |
| Warehouses hired by FCI from Private parties on long term basis |     64.23 |     86.32 |     98.01 |
| Silos hired by FCI from Private parties on long term basis      |      5.5  |      5.5  |      5.5  |

****