Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed officials to strengthen the state’s food grain storage infrastructure to protect farmers’ produce from damage and reduce post-harvest losses.
As part of the initiative, the state plans to create an additional 20 lakh metric tonnes of grain storage capacity. Officials have been asked to make necessary preparations to achieve the target.
The directions were issued during a review meeting on the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department’s five-year roadmap and action plan under Haryana Vision-2047 at the Haryana Civil Secretariat on Tuesday, according to an official release.
During the meeting, Commissioner and Secretary of the department J Ganesan said that around 4-5 per cent of food grains produced in the state are lost annually due to open storage and inadequate warehousing facilities. He stressed the need to expand covered storage infrastructure to minimise such losses.
Ganesan informed that Haryana annually produces about 115 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, 71 lakh metric tonnes of rice, 110 lakh metric tonnes of fruits and vegetables, and 115 lakh metric tonnes of milk and dairy products. Despite contributing nearly 25 per cent to the country’s food grain security, the state’s existing storage capacity stands at 66 lakh metric tonnes, which needs to be increased to 130 lakh metric tonnes to meet future requirements.
Taking note of post-harvest losses, Saini directed officials to formulate a comprehensive plan for the construction of covered warehouses, expansion of cold storage facilities and optimal utilisation of available resources. He asked all concerned departments to work in coordination to achieve the target of creating 20 lakh metric tonnes of warehousing capacity through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, ensuring protection of food grains from deterioration.
The Chief Minister said the government would implement a long-term strategy over the next five years to strengthen storage facilities for food grains, horticultural produce, fruits and vegetables, with the aim of maximising agricultural output and reducing wastage.
Saini also emphasised integrating renewable energy into warehousing infrastructure. He directed officials to install solar panels on warehouse rooftops and connect them to the power grid to support electricity generation.
In addition, he called for pilot projects in mandis and warehouses to reduce manual handling of grain bags through the use of conveyor belts and other modern mechanised systems.
Presenting the department’s roadmap, Ganesan outlined several interventions aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and achieving the government’s storage targets. He said the proposed measures could help prevent losses estimated at Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore over the next five years.
(With ANI Inputs)
