FROM HARVEST TO HOME, BUILDING RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FOOD GRAIN STORAGE
New Delhi, Sep 29, 2025 : India has reached a significant landmark with a record foodgrain production of 353.96 million tonnes in 2024-25, according to the third advance estimates. Wheat production amounted to 117.51 million tonnes, while rice output was 149.07 million tonnes. This achievement not only demonstrates the resilience of Indian farmers but also highlights the urgent need for strong storage infrastructure. Without scientific and efficient storage systems, bumper harvests risk being lost due to post-harvest losses, wastage, and quality decline, issues that directly impact both farmers’ incomes and national food security.
The significance of food grain storage lies in its multiple functions. It reduces post-harvest losses, maintains quality through scientific preservation, stabilizes prices by preventing distress sales, and ensures the availability of buffer stocks for schemes like the National Food Security Act (NFSA). In a country where agriculture sustains millions, storage infrastructure acts as a bridge between record harvests and consumer tables, ensuring every grain harvested translates into nutrition and income.
At the core of India’s storage ecosystem is the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies. Together, they manage a vast 917.83 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of covered and CAP storage capacity for central pool grains. FCI procures wheat, rice, and other food grains at Minimum Support Price (MSP), safeguarding farmer incomes and maintaining strategic reserves. These stocks are stored in scientifically managed warehouses and modern steel silos, ensuring quality and safety before being distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS). This centralized storage system forms the backbone of India’s food security network.
Complementing centralized storage is the cold storage infrastructure, essential for perishables like fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat. India today has 8,815 cold storages with 40.21 million metric tons. These facilities, equipped with pre-cooling, controlled atmosphere storage, blast freezing, and refrigerated transport, preserve freshness and reduce post-harvest losses. Government support through schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) and Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) has expanded cold chain capacity, strengthening the food processing sector while enabling farmers to earn better prices.
Equally critical is the expansion of decentralized storage through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). By building village-level godowns ranging from 500 to 2,000 MT, PACS provide farmers with local access to storage, helping them avoid distress sales and secure better returns. As of June 2025, 5,937 new PACS have been registered, and 73,492 have been computerized, making them more transparent and efficient. Functioning as both procurement centers and fair price shops, PACS reduce transportation costs, strengthen rural supply chains, and link storage with direct farmer welfare.
Several government schemes are driving this transformation. The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) has sanctioned projects worth ?73,155 crore, financing warehouses, cold storages, grading units, and ripening chambers. The Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) scheme has supported 49,796 projects across 27 states, adding nearly 982.94 LMT capacity. Similarly, the PMKSY has approved 1,601 projects, creating a processing and preservation capacity of 255.66 LMT annually. Together, these schemes ensure that post-harvest losses are minimized and farmers have better access to markets and processing facilities.
A transformative step in storage expansion is the launch of the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector in 2023. By integrating schemes like AIF, AMI, and PMFME, the plan seeks to build godowns, processing units, and fair price shops at the PACS level. Under its pilot phase, godowns have been completed in 11 PACS across 11 states, while over 500 PACS have been identified for future construction. The initiative aims to make PACS self-sustaining rural institutions while reducing dependence on centralized procurement and ensuring last-mile delivery of food grains.
Modernization is also evident in the construction of steel silos under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. Silos at 48 locations with 27.75 LMT capacity are already operational, while projects for an additional 36.87 LMT are under construction. Tenders for another 25.12 LMT capacity are underway. Unlike traditional godowns, silos offer bulk handling, automated loading and unloading, and longer preservation of grains under controlled environments. Alongside, the Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) scheme has encouraged private investments in warehousing since 2008, ensuring safe stocking of food grains and easing pressure on FCI infrastructure.
The challenge of safeguarding every grain in a country of 1.4 billion people requires continuous investment, innovation, and decentralization. While record harvests underline India’s agricultural capacity, resilient infrastructure ensures that these gains are not lost to wastage. From FCI’s centralized silos to PACS godowns in villages, from cold chains for perishables to integrated schemes for processing, India is steadily building a food security architecture that serves both farmers and consumers. As storage expands, so does the promise that every harvest will translate into prosperity, stability, and nutrition for the nation.