No wastage of Central Pool Foodgrains (wheat & rice) stored in godowns of Food Corporation of India (FCI) can be directly attributed to lack of proper storage facilities. Procured foodgrains are stored by FCI in a scientific manner in covered godowns and Cover & Plinth (CAP) storage. Inspite of all precautions, some quantity of foodgrains may get damaged/become non-issuable during storage due to transit damages viz enroute damage in wagon/truck, contamination, wagon roof leakage, Natural Calamities like cyclone/flood etc.
The quantum of foodgrains, which got damaged in godowns of FCI during last three years is as under:
|
Year
|
Quantity of damaged foodgrains
(in lakh tonnes)
|
|
2016-17
|
0.09
|
|
2017-18
|
0.027
|
|
2018-19
|
0.05
|
India is a Member of World Trade Organization (WTO) and the provisions of the Agreement on Agriculture under the aegis of WTO, restrict exports on commercial terms from public stockholding. No export for wheat/rice has been made from Central Pool Foodgrains Stocks during the last year and the current year till date.
To meet any contingency situation like drought, a strategic reserve of 20 Lakh MT of rice and 30 Lakh MT of wheat is maintained at national level at different FCI godowns, out of the foodgrains procured at Minimum Support Price (MSP).
This information was given in a written reply by the Minister of State Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shri Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in Lok Sabha today.
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APS/AS