Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed officers to ensure adequate storage infrastructure for food grains so that the produce cultivated through the hard work of farmers is protected from damage and minimises post-harvest losses. As part of this initiative, the state will create 20 lakh metric tonnes of additional grain storage capacity during the current year, and officers have been asked to make all necessary preparations to achieve this target.
The Chief Minister issued these directions while chairing a review meeting of 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.
During the meeting, Commissioner and Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, J. Ganesan, informed that due to open storage and inadequate warehousing facilities, nearly 4 to 5 percent of food grains produced in the state are lost every year. He emphasized the need to expand covered storage facilities to minimize such losses.
He further informed that Haryana currently produces around 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 annually. Haryana contributes nearly 25 percent to the country’s food grain security, yet the state’s existing storage capacity stands at only 66 lakh metric tonnes, which needs to be expanded to 130 lakh metric tonnes to meet future requirements.
Taking serious note of post-harvest losses, the Chief Minister directed officers to formulate a comprehensive plan for the construction of covered warehouses, expansion of cold storage infrastructure, and optimum utilization of available resources. He directed all concerned departments to work in close coordination and achieve the target of constructing 20 lakh metric tonnes of warehousing capacity on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode during the current year, ensuring that valuable food grains are safeguarded from deterioration.
Nayab Singh Saini further stated that the state government would implement a long-term strategy over the next five years to strengthen storage facilities for food grains, horticulture produce, fruits, and vegetables, thereby ensuring maximum utilization of agricultural output and minimizing wastage.
The Chief Minister also emphasized the integration of renewable energy with warehousing infrastructure. He directed that solar panels be installed on the rooftops of warehouses and connected to the power grid to contribute to electricity generation. In addition, he called for pilot projects in mandis and warehouses to reduce manual handling of grain bags by labourers through the use of conveyor belts and other modern mechanized systems.
Presenting the department’s future roadmap J. Ganesan highlighted various interventions aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and achieving the targets set by the Chief Minister. He stated that these measures could help prevent losses estimated at Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore over the next five years.
Chief Secretary, Anurag Rastogi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Arun Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretary, Cooperation Department, Pankaj Yadav, Principal Secretary, Department of Future, Smt. Amneet P. Kumar, Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister and Director General of the Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management, Dr. Raj Nehru, Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Yashpal Yadav, and other senior officers also remained present during the meeting.
