Central Government Begins Pilot Project to Store Rice in Steel Silos

As a part of its efforts to prevent cereals wastage during the shortage, the Central government has started a pilot project to set up steel silos (storages) for rice. 

This is for the first time that a project for rice silo has been commissioned in the country. For wheat, there are already such silos.  

As per the information from Food Corporation of India (FCI), if this pilot project becomes successful, then the Central government will set up storages to store 15.10 lakh tonnes of rice. In recent years, FCI has been holding record stocks and such silos are becoming an integral part of the country’s food-grain storage programme.  

Why these Silos? 

The aim of such silos setup is to avoid the wastage of grains in traditional storage, i.e., in jute gunny bags in godowns. In the traditional storage, around 10-20 of wastage is noted due to weather-related issues, pests & insects, rodents, and spillage during transportation. Silos storage will avoid all such wastage.  

Pilot Project for Construction has Started 

The National Collateral Management Services (NCML) has begun the pilot project for the construction of rice silos at Kaimur and Buxar in Bihar. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) will set up joint silos of wheat and rice with a total capacity of 50,000 tonnes each at these places. NCML Chairman Sanjay Kaul said, “We had to consider various designs for rice silos and have completed the process by selecting one. We will soon begin executing the work.” Kaul also mentioned that the rice silos are not new for India. Many private players have such silos in the North. But this is the first time that the Central Government and FCI have come forward to set up such silos.  

Silos Features 

One of the features of the silos complex coming up in Kaimur and Buxar is that of the 50,000 tonnes, wheat silos will make up 37,500 tonnes --- three steel tower silos with a capacity of 12,500 tonnes each and, rice silos the rest 12,500 tonnes.  

The reason for the joint silos at the two places is because FCI plans to import wheat from other regions into these two places and distribute them there.  

NCML plans to store the rice at a temperature ranging between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius.