Foodgrain damage just 0.07 pc of total produce in 2010-11: KV Thomas

NEW DELHI: Refuting reports of wheat stock rotting in the absence of storage facilities, the government today said damage to foodgrain was just 0.07 per cent of the total produce in FY'11 compared to 2.5 per cent five years back.

"Five years back, the damage to foodgrains was to the tune of 2.5 per cent, which has been brought down to 0.07 per cent this year," Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister K V Thomas said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.

In terms of volume, 95,075 tonnes foodgrains were damaged in 2005-06 and just 6,346 tonnes in 2010-11. India achieved over 241 million tonnes of foodgrain production in 2010-11.

Replying to supplementaries, he said efforts were being made constantly to reduce damage further and asserted that no wheat stock was lying in the open sans any protective cover in Food Corporation of India and state agencies.

Government has already formulated a scheme to construct godowns through private entrepreneurs with the intention of bringing down dependence on open storage spaces.

"A capacity of about 152.97 lakh tonnes has been planned for 19 states under the scheme through private entrepreneurs and Central and State Warehousing Corporations," he said.

CWC and SWCs are constructing 5.31 lakh tonnes and 15.49 lakh tonnes respectively under the scheme, out of which, a capacity of about 3.5 lakh tonnes has already been completed, he said.