LARGEST FOOD GRAIN STORAGE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: To set up the world's largest food grain storage, the ministry of cooperation plans to sign agreements with the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Nabard, (NCDC, and NCCF.

World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan 

• About: The plan centers on establishing storage facilities and agricultural infrastructure at the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) level. This aims to bolster food security and minimize wastage.
• Part of: This initiative is part of the government's strategy to address the shortage of food grain storage capacity in the country.
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Cooperation (MIC) will spearhead a pilot initiative across a minimum of 10 diverse districts in different States.
• Agencies: Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd (NCCF)
• The MIC intends to execute a pilot project in a minimum of 10 chosen districts spanning various States and Union Territories across the nation.

• Food Grain Management in India: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies manage food grain procurement, storage, and distribution.
• India's Food Security Success: India has successfully averted famines since the Green Revolution of the early 1970s.
• Ensuring Food Availability: The government's well-designed food security system guarantees food grain availability nationwide, even in adverse conditions.
• Current Status: India has a grain storage capacity of about 145 million tonnes, with annual food grain output over 300 million tonnes. Every year, the country losses of tonnes of food grains due to inadequate storage.