20 mn tonne wheat wasted in India every year: IME

NEW DELHI: Around 20 million tonnes of wheat is wasted in India every year due to inadequate storage infrastructure, Institution of Mechanical Engineers said today.

" Foodgrains are lost in India mainly due to lack of facilities in storage and transportation. 20 million tonnes of wheat is lost every year as a result of that," said Tim Fox, Head of Environment at the UK-based body.

He released the report, 'Global Food: Waste not, Want not'. It highlights the lack of infrastructure for appropriate storage and logistics as one of the major factors contributing to foodgrains wasted around the world.

According to the report, 1.2-2 billion tonne foodgrain is wasted throughout the world and most of the wastage in developing countries occurs between the farm and the marketplace.

"Around 40 per cent of India's fruit and vegetable production is lost between the farm and the consumer due to lack of cold storage," Fox said.

The food being wasted could feed the growing population globally and help one billion people who go hungry across the world, he added.

On the genetically modified (GM) crops, Fox said: "In the era of climate change, GM crops are required to maintain the present level of production."

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is based in UK, and promotes, advances and updates knowledge, business and practises of mechanical engineering professionals. It represents over one lake members in 139 countries.