Roadmap for Answer Writing Introduction Introduce the importance of agricultural storage in ensuring food security and reducing wastage. Briefly mention India’s agricultural production and the role of storage in managing surpluses and ensuring quality food distribution. 1. Key Challenges in Agricultural Storage in India Insufficient ...
Model Answer Despite their numerous benefits, such as being nutritionally rich and climate-resilient, millets have seen a decline in adoption by Indian farmers. Several factors contribute to this low uptake: 1. Low Demand and Consumption Millets were once a staple in Indian diets but their consumptiRead more
Model Answer
Despite their numerous benefits, such as being nutritionally rich and climate-resilient, millets have seen a decline in adoption by Indian farmers. Several factors contribute to this low uptake:
1. Low Demand and Consumption
Millets were once a staple in Indian diets but their consumption has sharply declined. The per capita consumption fell from 32.9 kg in 1962 to just 3.87 kg in 2022. Factors contributing to this include the longer cooking time required for millets compared to rice and wheat, a lack of value-added millet-based products, and diminishing traditional knowledge of millet-based recipes.
These factors have led to reduced consumer interest and demand for millet Productivity and Marginal Land Cultivation Millet productivity averages only 1 to 1.5 tonnes per hectare, which is significantly lower than that of rice and wheat. This low yield results in reduced profitability for farmers, forcing them to grow millets on marginal lands with even lower productivity potential. Consequently, farmers are often discouraged from choosing millets over more profitable crops .
2. Government Procurement
The government’s procurement of millets remains insufficient, which further exacerbates the issue. For example, the procurement rates for pearl millet, sorghum, and finger millet are extremely low, ranging from 1% to 15% of their total production. In contrast, procurement for staple crops like rice and wheat is much higher, ensuring better prices and stability for these crops .
3. Poor Seed Storage Issues
Farmers often face challenges with low-quality seeds, which are either contaminated with weeds or diseases, reducing the chances of a good yield. Additionally, millets have a shorter shelf life and are prone to pest infestation during storage, leading to higher wastage and decreased profitability .
Conclusion
To boost millet cultivation, India needs to focus on improving seed quality, enhancing government procurement, providing better storage solutions, and developing modern processing technologies. These efforts can drive both production and consumption, enabling millets to regain their role in India’s agricultural landscape.
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Model Answer Key Challenges in Agricultural Produce Storage in India Insufficient Storage Capacity India’s current food grain storage capacity is 145 million metric tonnes (MMT), which is far less than the total food production of 311 MMT, creating a storage gap of 166 MMT. This shortage limits theRead more
Model Answer
Key Challenges in Agricultural Produce Storage in India
India’s current food grain storage capacity is 145 million metric tonnes (MMT), which is far less than the total food production of 311 MMT, creating a storage gap of 166 MMT. This shortage limits the ability to store surplus grains, especially during peak production seasons, leading to inefficiencies and losses.
Many storage facilities lack proper hygiene and infrastructure, resulting in post-harvest losses due to spoilage and infestation. For example, about 10% of the 1,000 lakh metric tonnes of wheat produced annually are lost due to inadequate storage methods. These practices compromise the quality of food grains.
Storage capacity is unevenly distributed across states. While southern states boast a storage capacity close to 90% of their food production, northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar fall short, with storage capacity below 50%. This regional disparity exacerbates food security concerns in areas with inadequate storage.
Cold storage is crucial for preserving perishable items like fruits and vegetables, but India faces a shortage in this area. Most existing cold storage is allocated for potatoes, leading to significant post-harvest losses for other crops. This lack of infrastructure affects the overall efficiency of the agricultural supply chain.
Measures to Address Storage Challenges
India must scale up the use of metal silos, which provide better and more scientific storage options. This will improve the handling and longevity of grains, reducing losses.
Storage facilities should be decentralized and set up at the village and Panchayat levels. This is particularly beneficial for small farmers who do not have access to large storage units.
Excess agricultural stock should be managed through measures such as exports or selling surplus in open markets. This would reduce pressure on existing storage facilities.
Private investment in agricultural storage, including cold storage and warehouses, should be incentivized. Encouraging competition will reduce costs and improve infrastructure availability.
The government is already implementing measures like the SAMPADA Yojana and Save Grain Campaign to improve storage. The establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee for a large grain storage initiative in the cooperative sector further aims to address these gaps
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