Lok Sabha Question No. 209 (STARRED), answered on 2022-12-21
Subject: Development of Efficient Storage Systems
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Kani K. Navas

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.209 DECEMBER, 2022

## DEVELOPMENT OF EFFICIENT STORAGE SYSTEMS

209. SHRI K. NAVASKANI:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC

- (a) whether the Government has taken any initiatives for   developing efficient storage systems (stores, warehouses, cold stores, integrated coldchains, silos, etc:) at the farm, village, block and regional levels for both non-perishable and perishable products;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION ANP TEXTILES (SKRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED To IN REPLY OF THE STARRED QUESTION NO.209 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 21.12.2022 IN THE LOK SABHA

- (a): Sir. Yes,
- (b):1. Food Corporation of India (FCI) and State Government mainly store foodgrains after procurement in Central Pool: As on 01.12.2022, a Capacity of 713.25 Lakh MT is available with FCI (353.60 Lakh MT) and State agencies (359.65 Lakh MT) for the Central Pool: The requirement of Storage capacity in Central Pool depends upon the level of procurement, requirement of buffer norms and distribution in National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other Schemes: FCI continuously assesses and monitors the storage capacity and based on the storage gap assessment; storage capacities are createdlhired:

## FCI augments its storage capacity through following schemes:-

- Construction of Silos under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode: In order to upgrade and modernize the storage facilities, Government of India approved Action Plan for construction of steel silos on PPP mode in the country: Under this Silos with a capacity of 12.25 LMT is completed: plan
- Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme: To augment the existing storage capacity, construction of godowns has been undertaken in PPP mode in 24 states under Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme through private sector as well as CWC and SWCs. As on 01.12.2022, a capacity of 146.10 LMT has been created under this scheme.
- Recognizing the need to ramp-up the storage capacity and the inherent issues in implementation of the previous railway siding silo model, a new Hub & Spoke model for development of Grain Silos across the Country has been approved by the Government of India. Further, silo capacity of 111.125 LMT in PPP mode is proposed under Hub & Spoke model to be implemented in 3 phases In phase-I tenders for 10.125 LMT at 14 locations on FCI own land has been awarded and in respect of 24.75 LMT at 66 locations of private land, the tender opened on 01.11.22 and is under technical examination:
- (iii) Central Sector Scheme (erstwhile Plan)(CSS): Government is implementing a Central Sector Scheme for construction of godowns with focus on augmenting storage capacity in the States of North Eastern (NE) Region and a few other States. Under this Scheme, funds are released directly to FCI in the form of equity for land acquisition and construction of storage godowns and infrastructure like railway sidings, electrification, installation of weighbridge; etc. Funds are also released as grants-in-aid to the Governments of the North-Eastern States including Jammu & Kashmir for construction of intermediate storage godowns considering the storage gaps as well as difficult geographical & climatic conditions in these States: Under this Scheme; a total capacity of 2,82,845 MT has been created since 2012.

- (iv) Hiring of godown from Central Warehousing Corporation (cwC)State Warehousing Corporations (SWCs)State Agencies: FCI also hires godown from CWCISWCs on guaranteed reservation basis to meet the requirement of storage space. As on 01.12.2022, a capacity of 28.93 LMT from CWC and 88.90 LMT capacity from SWCs (83.52 LMT)State agencies (5.38 LMT) have been hired:
- v) Private Warehousing Scheme (PWS): In addition, as required godowns are hired by FCI through e-tendering under Private Warehousing Scheme (PWS) from private parties by offering guaranteed hiring of two year extendable by one year to address immediate urgent requirement of storage space: As on 01.11.2022, a capacity of 8.09 LMT has been hired through PWS:

In addition, FCI takes adequate steps to store; preserve and protect the foodgrains during storage of foodgrains in godowns:

2. Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) has constructed 3.45 Lakh MT godowns during 2021-22. As on 01.12.2022, CWC has total operational storage capacity of 107.10 LMT. Apart from this CWC is operating cold storage with a capacity of 395 MT.
3. For creation of Agricultural Marketing infrastructure including Scientific Storage and to reduce post-harvest and handling losses, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt: of India is implementing sub-scheme #Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI)" of Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing (ISAM) across the It is a credit linked scheme wherein back ended capital subsidy at the rate of 25% and 33.33% is available based on the eligible category of beneficiary: Assistance is available to Individuals, Farmers, Group of farmerslgrowers, Agri-preneurs, Registered Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs), Cooperatives, and state agencies etc. Under the AMI Sub-scheme, since inception i.e. from 01.04.2001 and up to 30.11.2022, a total of 42,164 storage (only storage) infrastructure projects (Godowns) with capacity of 740.43 Lakh MT have been assisted: dry

73/-

Additionally, Department of Agriculture, & Farmers Welfare is implementing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) for holistic development of Horticulture in the country: Under  MIDH, assistance is available for  development of Post Harvest Management (PHM) for perishable horticulture crops which includes establishment of pack house, Integrated pack house, pre-cooling, staging cold room, cold storages, controlled atmosphere (CA) storage, reefer transport, primarylmobile processing units, setting up of  ripening chambers and Integrated cold chain supply system etc: Under MIDH, an entrepreneur can avail assistance for individual component or combination of different components for which assistance at 35% of   eligible  project cost in general areas and at 50% in and scheduled area is available as credit linked and back ended subsidyThese components are demandlentrepreneur driven through commercial ventures for which Government assistance is credit linked back ended and can be available through respective State Horticulture Missions. hilly

Further, the Department of Agriculture & Farmer's Welfare is also implementing Sub-Mission on Seeds & Planting Materials (SMSP) from the year 2014-15 to promote production and multiplication of quality seeds of agricultural crops, so that the required quantities of seeds could be made available to farmers in the country: Under this Scheme, 500 no. of Seed Processing-cum-storage Godown Units each of 500 MT capacity costing at the rate of Rs.60.00 Iakh (GOI share 100 %) each at Gram Panchayat level are to be established in the country to produce the seeds by farmers themselves for making available quality seeds at village Ievel itself.

4. Ministry of Food Processing Industries, under the scheme of Integrated Cold Chain & Value Addition (ICC&VA) the Cold Storages are established developed as a requirement of the unit for processing and storage of the finished items: The scheme of ICC&VA has developed created the cold storage capacity of 8.38 Lakh MT in the country for perishables and processed products:

- 5\_ Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) registers warehouses to enable them to issue electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (eNWRs): However, registration of all warehouses with WDRA is not mandatory, and only those warehouses which issue or intend to issue Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (NWRs) have to be registered with WDRA. This is to establish the system of NWR in the country: It is  stipulated that these warehouses have the requisite infrastructure for safe and scientific   storage, and follow prescribed Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for proper preservation of stocks: As on 15.12.2022, 3460 active warehouses are registered with WDRA:
- (c): Question does not arise.

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